Retribution
by Matsuo Hotaru
Summary: His onyx eyes took in this foreign land he woke up in, his instincts drove him to try and discover a way home but those grey eyes of hers convinced him to stay. His love interest though is in danger and he must find a way to save her.
1. Chapter 1

This is my side story while I work on my books and the stories on here. It was an idea that turned out to be great. I have 26 pages typed up already with this story, roughly 16,800 words so I hope you all enjoy it. I have gotten really deep into it and might actually finish it within the next day so keep looking for new chapters, I will be uploading them quickly.

He wasn't sure how but he was alive and he couldn't figure out where he was. Everything was foreign to him and after being in this place for a week he couldn't find a single trace of any hidden villages, ninjas or chakra. The trees were not nearly as wide compared to his where he is from, this place had demons and more spiritual beings with actual power. Power is what led him to where he is now. A few days ago he could sense power coming from over here and with his sharingan eyes he was able to find the area easier. That was another thing, his eyes were healed fully and he unlocked Eternal Mangekyou. He had come to the source of power and all he found was a dried up well. He remained in the area, not wanting to stray from it in case he could spot the user of it and discover what the power actually is.

The last time he was conscious had been when he was revived through the reanimation jutsu and last he had seen was his brother Sasuke's face as he informed him he would love his sibling eternally. Now he is nowhere close to his sibling, lost in a foreign land with no clue as to how he is alive again and why. He had studied the well and a nearby tree that seemed unusual, the only other thing that could be of any interest was a nearby village. The path leading to it had obviously been used but not as much as other roads leading to the village. For now he would rest in a tree and bide his time since he had nothing better to do. He wondered though about his home, his village. How did the war go, was everyone okay, and who was going to be the next Hokage. Thoughts like that spiraled through his mind with no answers but he had little else to think about.

A couple days had gone by in a similar fashion and suddenly the well powered up but no one was there. He watched from the shadows as the blue light went away and noises could be heard coming from the well. Then a black bag was tossed out followed by a hand gripping the top of it before a young woman pulled herself on to the ledge. She had waist length black hair, grey eyes, and lightly tanned skin. She wore black sweatpants, blue and black shoes, and a dark blue tank top. The only other thing he spotted was a necklace with a single fang on it resting at the start of her cleavage. What struck him as odd was her clothing was more like where he is from, not this place, and she had the powers of a priestess yet she didn't dress like one. She was in fact more powerful than any other beings with power that he had sensed.

Overall she was attractive, possibly the prettiest woman he has seen but he might be being bias since he prefers the look of the Uchiha. He certainly hoped this might be his opportunity to get some answers. He watched as she picked up her bag and enjoyed the light breeze for a few seconds before heading down the path leading to the village. Before she got much further he decided to make his presence known.

Kagome had just arrived to the Feudal Era after spending several days in her time to help out at the shrine. Life had been quite laid back with Naraku dead and school finished. It was hardly like her days of fighting demons, taking tests, and dodging dates. Well she still did that but not nearly as much. She began her trek to the village after enjoying the light breeze that went through the clearing. Feeling satisfied she continued on wondering what the others have been up to. Suddenly she heard the yell, "Hiraikotsu!" She ducked in time to miss the large boomerang and then flipped in the air while tossing her bag. Landing on her feet she defended herself from a blow and went through a series of blocks before finally going on the offense and delivering her own attacks. The arm dagger came out of her opponents wrist guard and she ducked the strike while pulling out her own dagger and coming back up and going on the defense once more and then suddenly having her feet swept out from under her. She was quickly pinned to the ground with the dagger at her throat.

"Sango, I thought we greeted each other with smiles and laughter, not dodging and striking," she commented from her pinned form. Finally her friend let up and she could hear the laughter from behind her mask.

Sango finally put her weapon away and took the mask off, offering her best friend assistance in getting up. "Had to make sure you hadn't been lazy while you were away."

She snorted, "Oh yeah, I'm sure that's not the real reason. So what are you doing out here?"

"I was getting some training in while Miroku and InuYasha took care of the kids. Oh and we received word that Shippo would be back soon. He is doing well on his tests and made a lot of new friends it said in his letter. Nothing else has happened while you were gone." Sango took out a cloth and patted her forehead and under her hair from the sweat that had begun to form. She had her figure back but was still trying to get stronger since problems did still arise.

"Are you going to join me on my way back to the village or would you want to join me later in the hot springs?" Kagome scooped up her bag once more and turned towards her friend, taking note that she must have just started judging by her appearance.

"I think I will join you later. I really need a break so I plan to stay out here for a while yet," she smiled, happy to be away from the dusty village and in the forest for a while.

"Okay," Kagome smiled, "I will make supper for all of us tonight so take as much time as you need. I will pop in and check on the guys before I start. See you later!" She waved and turned back to the path. They both headed their own separate ways and were soon out of site from each other. She was humming along, enjoying the day when she heard a couple footsteps and immediately turned to see who was there.

Itachi paused in his decision to make himself known when he sensed the large object headed straight at the woman. Part of him wanted to deflect the attack since this person might be of great value to him. After watching the attacker and the woman he came to the conclusion it was just a spar since he noted the attacker, who was obviously female, could have used much deadlier force as he eyed the other weapons and poisons. Figuring he should wait a while longer he remained hidden in the trees until he could finally get his chance to speak with this woman that was using the power of the well. It had to be a portal of some sort. Finally dropping out of the tree and making steps towards the tree line he watched the priestess turn with a tensed body to see who was there.

Putting his hands up to show he meant no harm Itachi stepped out from the cover of the trees and into plain view. "I am Itachi Uchiha, I am hoping you will spare a few minutes and talk with me, I guess you could say I am lost."


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome watched as a handsome man came out, he was definitely human though she could feel some kind of power coming from him, nothing like the powers she is used to sensing. Having heard the man she thought about it. She did like helping people but she was unsure why he would be in the forest with a village so nearby. With the jewel gone, there really wasn't any reason for her to be a target now days and once again, this man is human. Taking in his clothes she took note that they weren't commonly seen in these times but some of it wouldn't be seen commonly in her time either. Her interest piqued she gave the man her full attention and nodded her head. "I am Kagome Higurashi. Let's have a seat over here and you can explain your situation," she offered kindly.

Without turning their back to the other they made their way over to a sunny area and took a seat leaning back against a couple trees next to each other. He began again, figuring if he gave some information he might be able to tell if any of it sounded familiar to her. "Once again, I am Itachi of the Uchiha clan from the Village Hidden in the Leaves," he pointed towards his forehead protector at the symbol for 'leaf.' "I was once a ninja there, after several years of being gone I was defeated in battle and died. I was brought back to life with the reanimation jutsu but finished my mission and accepted my death once more and now I am here. I have been here for a little over a week and nothing is familiar to me. None of the villages seemed to know what I was talking about and no one seems to use any chakra. A few days ago I felt the power of that well flare to life and tracked it down and had seen you come out of it today. I'm assuming its some type of portal."

"Well, I have never heard of your clan, your village, I never heard of chakra or jutsu. I guess you are a lot like I was a few years ago. This is the Feudal Era of Japan, where demons still exist and roam the land. I am actually from another time but had been dragged into this one by a centipede demon. In fact that well is part of my family's shrine so several years in the future my home will be in that very same clearing. You are either from the future beyond mine or from a different world or dimension entirely. That well has only ever gone between this time and mine for as long as I have used it. I really don't know how you would get home if that is what you are aiming to do."

"I see. I'm not really all that ambitious on going back; I had done everything I needed to do. Could you tell me more of how this world works?" He was rewarded with a warm smile from her. She slowly got up and stretched before shouldering her bag once more.

"How about you walk back with me to the village and I can show you. You can give this world a shot first and if you don't want to stay here then I can try and help you get back. Sound like a deal?" She extended out her hand to help him up; the welcoming gesture was something he wasn't used to. Accepting her hand and the help she was offering, he wondered why she would extend her help so far for a stranger. He followed her into the village listening to her speak of her knowledge about this place and giving him a few warnings concerning her companions. Soon enough they were surrounded by rice paddies and he watched the different villagers give her their greetings, a few of them casting curious eyes on him and some of the younger men giving him a hard look and the young girls and women sighing dreamily as he walked by.

He watched her approach a hut on the outskirts of town that had two men with three kids and a cat in front of it. The men were too distracted to take notice of them. He watched Kagome pull out a camera and take a quick photo of them before quietly sneaking away. The children were apparently being a handful and she seemed to be avoiding the chaos. Walking into a near empty hut she set her bag down and grabbed a basket before explaining that she is getting a few ingredients to make supper. Itachi was content to just follow her and watch everyone interact. She went to a few stalls before leading them into the forest on the other side of the village to forage for berries and herbs.

"We have villages similar to this one but most have at least some more modern features. We have what we call plumbing, we use it to bring water into the home to wash dishes and shower." He paused when he noticed Kagome was turning towards him, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"So you must have toilets and electricity too?" She watched as he nodded. "We do in my time as well. Do you go to school; have cars, and buildings that touch the sky?"

"Ninjas go to the academy, I don't know what a car is and though we do have some tall buildings, not many ever go higher than a few stories. We have walls to help defend us from attacks and guards that watch them. Our leader is called Hokage and is always a very strong ninja. When I had passed on the second time the five nations were in war against several strong enemies. I am confident that the nations won the war; I just wonder what life will be like after it since before the five nations were enemies. I'm assuming we could say there must be peace among the nations for the first time in a long time. It seems like things are peaceful here as well. I do find it odd seeing demons roaming the lands freely, not captured and sealed." That had to have been the most he has ever talked in a long while. The woman seemed to catch on to that too. He doesn't normally ramble like that but it felt nice sharing this with her.

"Why would the demons be captured and sealed?" She questioned, not liking the sound of it.

"For power to use against enemies they seal them into ninja who are then called Jinchuuriki and the demons are called Bijuu. The Leaf's Jinchuuriki is a boy named Naruto; he has the Nine-Tail Fox. He is special and I left my brother Sasuke in his care. Naruto was one of the few who seemed to keep making friends whereas most are alone and treated like monsters. I'm hoping it will all change some day but for now there is nine Bijuu and when they are combined they create the Ten-Tails. I think if I ever go back to my world it will be a different place and probably for the better. I think you could say it's a combination of your two eras that you travel through." He had a lot of faith in Naruto. He truly hoped things would be different if he ever went back. "How about your two eras, are they anything like that?"

She hummed in thought as she reached a bush of berries and began picking them. Itachi kneeled down and started helping her. "Well in this era we had a jewel that I was a guardian of. I was born with it in my side but I didn't know about it or my powers until that centipede demon grabbed me. There had been this evil half demon who formerly been a human bandit. He lusted after the priestess that I am the reincarnation of and sold his body and soul to demons so he could have her. Instead he ended up going after jewel she guarded and made her think she had been betrayed by InuYasha and he tricked InuYasha into thinking the same thing. She died after pinning the real InuYasha to the Tree of Ages over by the well and the jewel was burned with her body just like she requested. I freed InuYasha in my desperation for him to kill the demon centipede and the demon bit my side where the jewel was and that was my first time seeing it. Later on it was shattered so it was my quest to piece it back together and defeat the evil half demon along with several other enemies. I made a lot of friends on the journey that had also been affected by Naraku. Now that he is finally gone for good, along with the jewel everything is quiet. I just travel between the two eras visiting family and friends. Though I'm glad the days of battle are for the most part behind us I must say I got used to it. Though I am sorry about your situation it is nice having a challenge again. It's funny though, I'm more skilled and powerful now compared to when we had enemies to fight. I train and practice a lot since I have little else to do. By the way, what can this chakra do?"

Picking up the basket he motioned for her to follow him further into the forest where there was a clearing. He set the basket down and walked several steps away then did the hand signals for The Great Fireball Technique, the flames shooting out in a huge ball. He then made a clone of himself and proceeded to suck the clone into a different dimension with his eye before ending it. He then used chakra to walk up a tree and stand upside down and proceeding to use it to walk on air seemingly before suddenly appearing right in front of her. With a startled gasp she almost fell backwards until he caught her and slowly brought her back on her feet. He took note of the blush that formed on her cheeks before dropping his arms by his sides. "Most of that can be done by ninja soon after they leave the academy if not before. Anything else should be saved for when there is an enemy."

"It's amazing, I wish I could do something like that, it sure would make a battle easier." She snapped out of her dazed appearance and realized she was looking straight at his chest. With another blush creeping up on her she backed away before looking at the basket. Itachi bent down and retrieved it then followed her lead back into the forest to finish foraging.

"I noticed earlier that you had a slight pink glow to your skin when you were taking that picture of your friends. Had you been using a barrier to hide yourself from their other senses?" She turned her head to look at him and nod.

"InuYasha is half dog demon and half human, so he would have smelled me and both he and Miroku would have sensed me. I had things to do so I didn't want them to take off and leave me with the kids. Plus I would like to stall the oncoming headache of explaining to InuYasha why you are here." Irritation flashed through her eyes as she thought about the heated battle of wits between them.

"Is he your lover or husband?" Not quite understanding why it was only the half demon she would have trouble with.

Shaking her head she sighed. "I used to love him as more than a friend but after Naraku was defeated things just changed. I guess you could say there was less holding us together and though we are good friends, we are not as close as we once were. I don't know if he even realizes it. He can be dense at times or just very good at ignoring the obvious. I am considered old now among the social norm here though I do still proposals. I'm just not interested I guess you could say. In my time girls and guys are still focusing on school and getting into a career, not having a family and settling down. I like both worlds and if people from my time heard me talking about my life here they would think I'm crazy. A man in this time would want a more obedient wife that stays home all day with the kids while he works in the fields or wherever. In one I have a secret life; in the other I would be caged. So I don't pursue relationships." He understood her point. Neither life sounded ideal, it sounds like she would like to have another adventure or wait a little longer before having kids.

Though he wasn't against an adventure, which he could call this, he wouldn't mind starting to think about having a family of his own. He would prefer to be back in his world but he wasn't sure what kind of welcome he would receive should he try to return to the village and have a life there. This era seemed more laid back while Kagome's other era sounded more sophisticated. It wouldn't be that bad living here instead of finding his way home. He could learn about it a little more and then maybe choose where he would prefer to live.

Lost in their thoughts they finished the foraging and headed back to her hut and he helped her prepare supper. Not long after the aroma of a delicious meal started did the half demon come in holding his growling stomach. Then his eyes landed on him and narrowed before marching over and glaring down at him. He was surprised when InuYasha had grabbed the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. Narrowing his eyes he glared at the half demon before activating his sharingan. He could acknowledge that the half demon did feel powerful.

"Who the fuck are you and why are you here with Kagome?" His growl vibrated through the hut. Kagome got up and began glaring at her friend.

"InuYasha cut it out and leave him alone. We will explain things later, for now we are cooking supper for everyone." She watched her friend flex his claws before bringing them to eye level as he glared at the now red and black eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Itachi did a quick hand signal and did a substitution jutsu leaving the half demon holding a log instead. Dumbfounded, InuYasha spotted him across the hut with his arms crossed glaring at him. Kagome was behind him still working on the food and he suddenly found he didn't like another unattached male by her whose ignorance most likely hurt the kind woman. He knew his behavior was odd since normally he didn't get close to people in general but he remained firm in his decision, he wouldn't let this InuYasha upset her while he is around. "When she decides to share what is going on I will explain things but at this time I would like to repay her hospitality by helping her make supper. If you still don't like me after the explanation then I would enjoy taking it outside and testing myself against you. If you would excuse me I am going to get back to helping her."

With a withering glare from Kagome, he huffed and sat down in the corner, keeping his eyes on the stranger. He had to say, he was a bit excited about battling it out against this stranger. He hadn't been able to get in a good fight in months now. He continued to glare at the stranger and keep his senses focused on him as they continued working. Not long after the kids came running in and tackled Kagome, Itachi caught everything and then set it all down before going back to finishing up what he was doing while watching Kagome interact with the kids.

"Hey InuYasha, would you say the kids were good?" She teased them as she winked at the half demon, hinting to him to play along.

"Tch, yeah right, those brats," he stuck his nose up in the air and crossed his arms. Sounds of protests came from the kids and the sound of running feet indicated he was about to attacked by the tiny beings. His eyes widened as they all jumped yelling, "dog pile!"

Kagome quickly finished what she was doing and then got up to stretch before muffling her giggles as she went over to her bag. She got out a few toys for the kids and whistled to get their attention. They quickly ran over and stood at attention in front of their aunt. Sango and Miroku walked in just in time to see the kids being absolute angels for their dear friend Kagome. Noticing the newcomer they gave polite greetings to him as he likewise did for them. He had finished everything up and sat watching everything, his onyx eyes glinting in the waning light.

Everyone settled in and began eating after a light introduction. Once everyone finished and the dishes set aside did Kagome clear her throat indicating they would satisfy their questioning gazes. Itachi then quickly addressed them, wanting to explain things and save Kagome the headache of dealing with her friend InuYasha.

"I am Itachi Uchiha of the Uchiha clan from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I am a Leaf ninja and my village is from the Fire Country. I had formerly been defeated in battle as I had planned on doing so but was reanimated through the reanimation jutsu to be used against my village during a war. I instead took control of my body and defeated the one that cast the jutsu before accepting my death once more. Now I find myself fully alive and in a place I don't recognize. I was brought back a little over a week ago and was fruitless on finding how to get home from here. Feeling a power flare up I tracked it down to the well Kagome uses and decided to bide my time until I could see what the power was for. When it flared back to life and Kagome came out I figured it must be some type of portal so I introduced myself and informed her of my dilemma. I am neither from this era or hers, it's possible I am not from this world or dimension at all. My world is a mixture of this era and hers so it is possible that I am from even further in the future than she is so she is helping me learn about this place so I can later make my decision on if I want to pursue going back to where I came from. As it is, I have no clue as to how I came back to life and why." InuYasha didn't seem impressed but the monk Miroku along with the demon slayer Sango seemed intrigued at the puzzle he presented. After all, it's not every day that you meet a time traveler and then meet yet another possible time traveler if not a person from a different world entirely. For whatever reason he realized he has been talking a lot more than he usually does. Explaining things could be lengthy and he had to explain a lot today. These people though were possibly his best shot at getting some answers.

"That really is quite the story, possibly even more fascinating than our dear Kagome's arrival in this time. Unfortunately there are too many pieces to this puzzle that haven't been discovered. It's quite the coincidence that you two would then meet, it is possible it could be nothing or you two and your abilities are needed for something. All we can do now is be patient and see what happens." Miroku studied him and he couldn't help but notice how nice Itachi and Kagome look next to each other. Keeping his thoughts to himself Miroku remained quiet.

InuYasha was scowling and everyone knew his displeasure but he kept it to a minimum since the children had fallen asleep and the two women can be really scary when he wakes them. No one seemed to have any further thoughts than what Miroku had already put out there; it was just like he said not enough pieces to the puzzle.

The night ended, Itachi shared Kagome's hut and lay down on a spare bed roll. InuYasha was on the roof and Kagome had not returned from Kaede's yet. When she finally did return she had the pile of dishes with her and set them outside her hut to collect later for washing. She gave InuYasha a wave before entering the hut and then giving Itachi a small smile. She rolled out her sleeping bag and grabbed a spare blanket for her guest and handing it to him before grabbing her bathing supplies and the dishes then heading out.

Creasing his brow Itachi tried to think of where he had seen any bath houses but couldn't think of any. Getting up he walked out and watched her walk away, not seeing her friend joining her he turned to the half demon, "InuYasha?"

"What is it," he gruffly replied to Itachi, trying to hide the tiredness from his reply.

"Are there bath houses in this village?"

"No, why," He sat up to study this new male.

"Kagome left to wash dishes and use a hot spring but your friend Sango has not joined her." The lack of response from the half demon and the soft snores was his only reply. He guessed those kids had tired him out more than he would show earlier. He decided to find her himself and watch over her.

He had watched her disappear in a different direction than either of the ways they had gone earlier, smelling water he figured she must be washing the dishes first. When he arrived at the river she was still washing them with soap she must have brought from her era. Kneeling next to her he used some of the soap and began scrubbing silently next to her, noticing her appreciative glance.

The water gently lapped at the shore and they were both bathed in the moonlight from the clear sky. He noticed how many stars he could see here as well and watched the reflection of sky on the water. Next to him Kagome finished her last bowl just before him. Using his speed he grabbed all of the now clean dishes and easily balanced them. Kagome gathered her bath supplies then and they both stood.

"Thank you Itachi, I appreciate your help." Her eyes twinkled in the moonlight yet he did his best to not stare, he was still a shinobi and an Uchiha at that.

"Where are these hot springs you are going to?" The level of suspicion he felt was thick and he wondered what she was thinking. "Your friend doesn't appear to be joining you and I don't want you out alone at night even though I'm sure you're capable of defending yourself."

"So long as you're not a pervert, I will be off over there." She still seemed to not fully believe that was all but he figured she must have run into a lot of perverts in her quest or era. Nodding, Itachi quickly darted off to take the dishes back and she headed over a bridge, past the fields and into the woods.

"Ahh," she sighed in pleasure as she sat down in the hot natural pool of water. She had already taken a shower the night before but a dip in the hot spring always sounded good. Having known Itachi might be coming she remained in a simple white towel. She wasn't tired yet so she figured this would help get her tuckered out. She supposed that also meant she didn't do enough today either. Without much thought she laid her head back and stared through the branches to the sky above.

Finding the hot spring he sat down against a tree facing away from it after spotting Kagome relaxing peacefully. "Kagome, I will be behind this tree."

He heard her suddenly suck in air, she hadn't sensed him apparently. "Okay." Not much was said between the two after that, he remained as he was sensing all of the nearby demons and activating his sharingan to help his vision. The demons had left them alone the entire time, nothing all that threatening came anywhere close to them. The peaceful night let them remain in their thoughts relatively easy. Though he wasn't in the spring the heat radiating from it still helped to ease him into a higher state of relaxation, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. After a while she grabbed the clothes she had been wearing and began soaking them in the water and then proceeded to scrub them before rinsing them and laying them on a rock to drip after gently squeezing some of the water out. She grabbed her hair and other bathing products and got to work on getting clean once more.

Her gentle splashing brought him out of his thoughts and his focus instead turned to listening to her, after a while she finally rose from the hot spring and began getting dressed after she had toweled off. Grabbing her bathing supplies and wet clothing she walked in the general direction of where she had heard Itachi earlier. After standing up and taking in her dark blue night attire he noticed he had startled her with his eyes but neither said anything of it. She let him lead the way in the darkness back to the village, feeling a little safer having him with her this late at night.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning came fast and she was up shortly after the crack of dawn and quietly exiting the hut to check on her clothing that she hung out to dry. Finding them mostly dried she wondered how she was going to change with her current male guest in there sleeping. She figured she should add on another room being she had no idea how she would do this every morning. She would rather have a separate room for sleeping anyways; it would be easier to keep warm in the winter without so much of a draft. Turning to go back in she walked right into Itachi and felt his hand on her back supporting her balance. Hiding the blush she mumbled an apology under her breath and went back into her hut to change.

InuYasha had whined about helping her build another room to her hut but with a final plead from Kagome he headed to the woods in search of a couple trees to use. Itachi had left that morning and since then hadn't returned. With the room marked in the ground Kagome focused on taking a few of the boards down to create a doorway and then left to go back to her era for a hammer and nails. By the end of the day her hut was set and she had ventured into the woods behind her home and found a clearing to start setting up a training area for closer combat. She then continued with the rest of her supplies to a large field a few minutes further and finished making an archery range. By then the sun had set and she was lying on her back in the field lightly dozing.

The moon had risen in the sky and she awoke to the feeling of eyes on her. Strengthening the barrier she had placed just beyond her skin she made a quick sweep of the surrounding area with her eyes before feeling the presence leave. Dismissing it, she headed home and then proceeded to take another dip in the hot springs but only to wash tonight, her stomach was rumbling too loudly to be ignored. Returning to her quiet hut she made some soup from her time and proceeded to crawl into her sleeping bag, entirely forgetting about her second room meant for just that.

Itachi quietly landed outside her hut after spending the day getting a feel for his new surroundings and the villagers themselves. He noticed the new room added to the hut earlier but couldn't find Kagome anywhere for hours. Entering the hut he spotted her fast asleep in her sleeping bag with soup leftover and a dish left out for him. Heating the soup up he studied her as she slept, noticing the wet locks that still clung to her face and the damp clothing outside. He had this urge to watch over her but he could only guess it was due to her giving nature and possibly being the one to help him find a way back to his world. He had a nagging feeling that he would need to at least find out how.

Quietly eating his soup he sat in his thoughts as he continued to stare at the slumbering woman on the other side of the fire. InuYasha wasn't on the hut tonight; he hadn't seen much of the half demon either today. Finishing his soup and killing the fire he washed the dishes at the river and then returned to get some sleep. As he fell asleep he decided to speak to Kagome tomorrow.

She rose early that morning, just before sunrise and went through her morning routine, noticing the clean dishes she headed out early after grabbing an apple from her bag. She was glad she had the other room built; it made the morning that much easier to go through. Disappearing into the woods she went straight into a warmup for a day full of testing out her training grounds. She knew she could be stronger physically and had room to improve on her archery skills as well. She needed practice and something that would push her to her limits.

Setting her bag down she went straight into her training, using her bow sparingly as she attacked the targets for several hours that morning. Towards the peak of the day she finally took a long break and washed ate a light lunch and guzzled down a bottle of water. She took a short walk to the other training grounds and spends several hours of the afternoon practicing there before she headed to the river. It was so hot out today she decided to finish her day swimming so she changed into her bathing suit. Noticing the splinters in her skin she spent several minutes taking them out and ignoring the blood. Finally done she dived into the water then went for a swim in the calmer portion, going upstream for a while before letting herself float and feel the current push her right back. The water washed away the blood, dirt and sweat she accumulated through the day.

After washing up and getting dried off she focused on using her powers to heal the wounds and that is when Itachi found her. Noticing the scrapes and her tired appearance he did his best to ignore that she was only in a bathing suit and towel. He knelt down next to her and looked at her hands after he grabbed them gently. He looked up into her blushing face and questioned the wounds she was healing.

"I had been training today." She watched him gently let go of her hands and went back to focusing her power into healing the remaining scrapes. Feeling eyes on them Itachi stood and waited for her to finish before helping her carry her stuff back to the hut while quietly informing her of the eyes on them.

He sat watching her make ramen when he recalled that he wanted to speak to her, "Kagome."

"Hmm," Their eyes connected and she noticed the more serious look in his eyes and posture compared to the relaxed one he had settled into.

"I have had this nagging feeling that I should figure out how to get home, I have a feeling I will need to know in the future. Would you still be willing to help me?" He almost felt guilty asking this of her. He didn't plan to go home the second he discovered a way, he really wouldn't mind living out his days here in this world.

"I did say I would should you decide that is what you wish," her calm reply seemed to be lacking in emotion but neither said a thing. She certainly didn't blame him for still wanting to know how to get home. She wouldn't be happy waking up one day to finding herself stuck in some unknown world.

"I don't plan on leaving; I have come to liking this place. It's just a nagging feeling I have, my instincts are rarely ever wrong. Thank you Kagome, for all of the help you have given me this far." She gave him a small 'you're welcome' and then began scooping out the noodles and passing a bowl over to him. The rest of the night carried on peacefully, he accompanied her to the river once more and helped her wash the dishes. As they sat there listening to the water lapping at the shore he realized she had fallen asleep. Feeling the eyes back on them he glared in the direction that he could feel them and then proceeded to pick up the few dishes and carry Kagome back to the hut.

She was light in his arms, his mind wandered off course, he for some reason wished he could share his world with her but he already decided he wasn't up to living there. He was certain that he wouldn't be getting a warm welcome should he ever return. Even if a few of them accepted him, it wouldn't be the whole population. Minus his mom though, he had never really interacted with women much. He knew he had fan girls back in the village before he went rogue but he couldn't go for girls that were so shallow. It was easy being around Kagome and her close friends; they after all were not like that.

Reaching the hut he carefully set down the dishes and then got Kagome tucked away in her sleeping bag. He could tell while she was cooking dinner that she had been exhausted. Her friends had lives of their own as he could clearly see so he was glad that he was around while she was clearly pushing herself hard. He wondered what she was preparing for or if it was just expecting the unexpected. Lying down in his own bed he looked at her one last time before focusing on falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun was glaring in her eyes by the time she awoke the next morning, she grabbed her clothing and quickly changed in the other room before packing a lunch and eating a light breakfast. She was just rounding the outside of her hut when she heard someone jump off the roof and land behind her. Looking over her shoulder she could see Itachi following her. Coming to a stop she wondered if he needed something.

"Are you heading off to train?" His question received a nod in the affirmative; he had already decided he wanted to see where she trained since she had obviously been able to escape his notice the last few days. "Would you mind letting me see where you train?"

"Umm, I guess not." She wasn't sure how she felt having someone watching her train. She really preferred to be alone since she knew she was still no match for her friends with her close combat. Leading the way she tried her best to cool her nerves.

"Would you also mind if I watch you a few times? I used to setup my own training area as well so I'm quite skilled at making sure targets are in the best place possible to pose a challenge and help make you stronger. I also have my eyes to thank for that." They had reached her first training area and he looked over the various targets and obstacles, letting her get adjusted as well.

"You would do that for me?" Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at him curiously. Though Sango has been teaching her to fight in close combat it was the only help she had really received, no one else had the ability to further her. Watching him for a few seconds she calmed her nerves and prepared herself to go through the first run.

After steady adjustments were being done she had a training area that will push her limits and she was happy in her decision to let him come. Bent over trying to catch her breath, sweat dripped steadily off of her forehead. Itachi had already left saying he wanted to look at the area for a bit. She took a swig of her water, stretched a little and then proceeded to go through it a few more times before taking a lunch break.

When Itachi arrived back she had already left but he found her footsteps leading towards the field that he had seen targets setup at. Heading over there he watched from the trees as she practiced her archery. He could see she is a good shot but he could tell these motionless targets took little effort for her to nail the bullseye. Getting an idea he went into the field and took a target and then faced it towards her while jumping in the air, giving her a moving target. Sure enough, she hit it dead on so he steadily speed things up as she hit the bullseye and did his best to make it increasingly difficult. Kagome realized quickly what he was doing and couldn't find a single pattern in his running and jumping around.

With his help she had worked up a sweat again and actually was able to move around trying to shoot the moving target and he would drop off her arrows and they would start again. As she took aim her body getting fatigued and back to dripping sweat, her arrow let loose when she was distracted by the sting of sweat getting in her eye. Realizing the arrow was headed straight at Itachi she focused hard and just before he was about to dodge it, it disappeared. He looked around and found it reappeared on the other side and lodged itself in a tree a distance behind him. He grabbed the arrow and put the target back before appearing next to her.

"That is enough for today. I will gather your supplies and take them to the hot spring." Just like that he was gone and she was left blinking, still astonished he is human. She began her trek to the hot spring and found that her supplies were already there. She spotted him sitting behind a tree waiting patiently for her to take her soak in the hot water. She was really enjoying his company, more so than any other. He was obviously thoughtful of her and respected her enough to ask her permission for some things and give her privacy for other things. She quickly stripped and got into the water, deciding to clean her clothing first and wash up as well. Once all of that was done she laid her head back and watched the blue sky gain red and purple hues as the sunset came.

She had gotten to thinking; Itachi would probably like to wash up as well and with product to scrub his body and hair. Gathering the rest of her thoughts she rinsed her hair off one more time before getting out. Several minutes later she approached Itachi and watched him stand up. "Hey Itachi, could you go with me to the well? I need to get a few things from my time."

"How about I carry you? It will be a lot faster and its getting dark." She gave a nod and he gathered her up in his arms and within seconds they were in the clearing before the well. Her shocked expression was worth the effort. He gently set her down on her feet and took the supplies she was holding and the damp clothing.

"I will be just a few minutes," she commented before leaping into the well. He watched it flash blue before taking off to the hut with the supplies and damp clothes. He was back before she arrived; he noticed the grey bag she was carrying as she climbed out of the well. He held out his hand for her to take and hauled her out of it. She passed him the bag with a grin. "It's for you, I figured you would like to clean up too and have a second pair of clothes to wear at night while your other ones dry."

"Thank you," he bowed to her, accepting the gift. Noticing her yawn she was trying to cover up he took it upon himself to quickly get her home so she could eat and get her rest. He carried her straight into the hut and let her get busy making them ramen. "I will do the dishes once we are finished, you should get your rest." He watched her tiredly nod her head, her body starting to sway a little. He pulled her away from the fire and leaned her up against the wall and finished waiting for the water to boil.

Once the food was done and cooled off he shook her back to awareness and sat next to her and ate his own food. She quietly ate beside him and soon her breathing evened out once more. A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he quietly finished his own. He took her dish and once again tucked her into bed and then left to clean the dishes and then take his own bath.


	6. Chapter 6

By the time she awoke the next morning Itachi was already finishing with making breakfast. She noticed he was wearing the black top and bottoms she gave him for sleeping. She could feel her muscles protest slightly but not nearly as bad as it would have been had she not taking that soak last night and eaten. Looking at the cooking meat she guessed someone must have gone hunting. He quietly greeted her with a nod of his head and continued cooking the meat. It wasn't long and breakfast was served. Once done they continued on with training like yesterday but instead he turned it up a notch a short while after they started. He wanted her to be done earlier so she could relax beyond just a hot bath.

Things continued on like that for a few days, she had brought him his own supplies to make his own training area. Appreciative as always, he did his best to express his gratitude where he could. He hunted and fished at different times, knowing they needed the protein. He even washed their bedding one of the mornings when she was at her first training area. They were much alike in their lifestyles and he wondered how long this would last. He was enjoying it and he knew she was appreciative of having him there.

He spent his mornings in his training area and his afternoons helping her with her archery. He challenged her every step of the way but silently supported her, never degrading her or making her feel uncomfortable around him. His silent strength and companionship was just what she needed and soon she had a hard time ignoring the butterflies in her stomach.

Shippo had finally come, he took longer than expected but Kagome took the day off to spend it with him and do whatever he wanted. He had mixed feelings on a stranger temporarily living with his mother. He decided he would study this new male and see if he was good enough to be so close to his mother. She did look happier, and stronger, so he began to pick up on things after a few days of visiting. The man was quiet but observant and strong, very strong he noticed.

He watched the guy closely and after only a couple days he picked up on the fact that the guy was holding himself back, only going as far to be seen as being appreciative and helpful but at night he would gaze at her, during the day he would keep her company or do something that would be helpful towards her. Then he noticed the guys need to protect her. After she learned to defend herself no one had really made a fuss about her going off on her own but this guy was always nearby, keeping a watch for danger.

Today though, it came from a different kind of threat. A few village girls had grown jealous that Itachi wouldn't pay them any mind and began suggesting inappropriate things and none too quietly. Thus a rumor started all because his mom welcomed a man into her home and he happened to be very attractive but nowhere near vain. Itachi caught wind of it and walked right up to the troublemakers and he knew several others were listening in to hear what would be said.

"I have been hearing several lies spreading around the village about your priestess Kagome. It is to my knowledge that she has helped save this village several times and even Japan as a whole. I wonder how such a pure being such as her would feel should she discover the very people she has protected were now speaking so inappropriately and disrespectfully. I would not dare to tarnish her name nor would I sleep around with either of you. Your jealousy will make you bitter when you receive your lot in life." With a glare he activated his sharingan and turned them on each woman. "For your sake I had better not hear such lies again because I can literally kill you with a single look. Remember my words; no one in this village is a match for me."

With that he walked away the girls all dropping to their knees in terror. The thought of someone being able to kill you with a single look and those eyes, they avoided him and never spoke a word about either of them after this. Shippo sat feeling satisfied on a nearby roof; he was mad about the rumors as well but didn't know how to effectively stop it. Itachi certainly did and had done so. He couldn't be more thankful to a man of few words.

That man, he decided, had feelings for his mom but wouldn't let himself pursue her yet since he didn't know what the future held and Shippo found that honorable. He hoped the male would stay around because he would be happy to know she had someone as good as he was to her. His eyes followed the male as he licked his lollipop from Kagome. He wondered how long it would be until something happened to bring them closer. His mother had of course remained oblivious to his affections but then again he wasn't being obvious and guys that had been blunt in the past she still didn't really think of.

Another thing he noticed was the lack of their friend InuYasha being around and getting in the guy's face. He hadn't noticed him once since he got here and the half demon knew he was coming. It made him wonder where he would disappear to. Not having an answer he set the matter aside and focused on enjoying his day.

Itachi remained angry on the inside and left the village to get rid of his anger with training. It frustrated him even more since he realized that he not only enjoyed the thought of living here but he enjoyed the thought of living with Kagome even more. He had spent years working as a spy for his village and marked a rogue ninja, he suffered knowing he had been the one to drop the curtain on his clan, to spend years knowing his brother hated him and then be reanimated and finally be able to show his brother the truth in his actions.

He is alive again but his instincts kept giving him a warning that he would need to find out how to get to his own world but he didn't want to leave her. He wanted to remain here and finally feel like he could pursue her. As much as he knew that he should keep his distance he couldn't, it wasn't in him to do that and so he remained, silently longing to be able to hold her in his arms like a lover would.

They days had flown by once again, Shippo had left back to his training and the air began to get a slight nip to it. He changed her door cover to two wide strips of fur and checked her hut for any drafts. He had also done more hunting and began stocking up her hut with dried meat and pelts. If there was a chance that he would be gone he wanted to at least have the peace of mind that she would be set. He spent the next few days stocking up her food supply and doing anything he could.

On the final day of hunting he had just gotten into town and the villagers were running in fear. Dropping his kill just outside of her hut he began to walk to where Kagome was squaring off with a few strong demons. Activating his eyes he noticed a village boy in the clutches of the one demon and a girl in the clutches of another demon. He began sprinting to them but before he could reach them some shackles were put on Kagome and they morphed into balls of light and disappeared, going east. Rushing to the kids he waited for them to tell him where they were taking her.

"The Lord of the East wants her. They said they were going into battle with the South and our village would be at great risk of being a battleground. The Lord is willing to make a deal with her but they took her in shackles that seal away her power," the boy babbled on, crying and upset at his ordeal. Thanking the children he rushed to where Miroku was and demanded to know where this Lord lived. Miroku found a map to give him and showed him where they were in accordance to this Lord.

He was livid, no Lord is going to just snatch her away and take her form of protection from her as well. He would make these demons pay. His ultimate goal was to get her out of there and the fact they will see him as just a mere human will be his ticket to getting to her easier. He is a wolf in sheep's clothing.


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome held back a glare at this Lord of the East, knowing she should hear him out before passing judgment. He had yet to move from his throne and do more than look at her. After several moments he languidly got up and began to descend down the steps to where she was being restrained with the shackles. "You're quite lovely, just as rumor said you would be, and powerful as well." His comment came out almost dry but she would not acknowledge either compliment. "I'm about to enter a war with the Southern Lord, we don't like each other and I was looking at places to launch an attack before they could get too close and it would see we would have to be between Mt. Odake and Mt. Tanzawa about a half days walk, south of the village you are from. It seems that your village is more accepting of demons compared to others and I plan to make camp in one of the nearby grassy fields, as such I can't guarantee that your village would not become involved in the war. I'm sure after the hard times the village has seen they would agree that an offer to not have the war anywhere near the village would be more to your taste."

He paused for several moments and circled around her slowly, still taking in every detail. "I will offer you this, I will marry you in your customs to make this arrangement looked upon with favor from the Gods. You will in exchange fight for me and give me an heir. The war won't be until it is warm out once again which will give you enough time to become pregnant, give birth and get back to being battle ready and with your help we can avoid your village and move past the mountains and towards the southern lands. Your village will praise you for your sacrifice and should you survive the war you will return to the palace to live out your days, never needing to worry about protecting the village since it would be guarded by my men and never having to worry about a hard winter. Doesn't that sound like a great benefit to that village of yours?"

She was snarling inside, the nerve of this guy, "You must think I am some fool. I know the layout of this land better than you believe, I know exactly where the village lies and I could draw a whole map of Japan. You could easily take the war past the mountains or plant an ambush there and never have to settle anywhere near the village. The Western Lord is my ally and brother to my friend and on top of that his ward stays there in my village so he would not be a fool as to let you use the place for such a thing. I also will not just live out my days like some pampered princess, I am not naïve, I would probably face murder attempts every day until I'm too old to defend myself among other things. My answer is no, I want to be returned to the village immediately."

"No? I don't really feel like giving you such room to disagree but in that case I will have you but the village will gain no such securities from me." He looked down his nose at her as she glared at him. She flared her powers making cracks in the shackles before they burst into several pieces. Her hair flowed wildly as she brought her hands up to shoot a ball of her powers him. He dodged and quickly chopped the side of her neck, rendering her unconscious. "She needs stronger shackles. Take her into a guest room and stand guard there. I want her returned here once she awakens," he commanded.

When she came to she had a new pair of shackles put on her. The guard roughly dragged her to her feet with the chain and proceeded to take her right back to his lord. As soon as she got there she glared daggers at the demon and after tensing herself she exploded her powers out but still not at her peak and it threw all of the demons back, slamming them into the walls, burning from her power before fleeing from the room. He brought out a glass looking ball and held it out in front of him before taking a step towards her. She started to feel her power drain and she quickly tried to call it back or even put up a barrier against the object but by the time he reached her she was on the ground panting with beads of sweat gathering.

Pulling her face up by her chin he grinned victoriously at her, his demon blood pumping with the excitement she raised in him. Her arms trembled as the now glowing ball continued to drain her of her power. He held her face steady and delivered a fierce kiss to her lips, not letting up until she zapped him on the lips, too drained to do much else. "I love a kiss with a spark of power. Now don't go passing out or you will miss the fun."

Dropping her head he instead grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet, forcing them to move if not slightly drag as she stumbled after him. Red eyes flared to life just as they went through the doorway and around the corner to the left of the throne. The demon had yet to notice his lack of guards and he would use this to his advantage. He quickly went through the doorway and picked up Kagome's sounds of struggling against this Lord. He hurried after them until he came to a dead end hallway. Listening closely he prepared a kunai and slammed open the shoji door, catching the lord trying to undress Kagome, hot tears trailed down her cheeks. The Lord turned to him and Itachi went straight for him, he would get this Lord, he will not leave until this demon is dead. Delivering a good kick he sent the demon through the wall and outside. Looking at Kagome and seeing the torn top he took his top off and handed it to her, only the mesh armor remaining. He took off through the opening in the wall he had created and met the Lord with a powerful clash.

"You've made your last mistake demon; I will kill you for your acts against her." The demon was wary of him, a human, which could meet him in battle like this.

"What are you?" He knew there had been reports of a strong human staying with the priestess but his reports never said he was this strong.

"I am a shinobi; remember my name as I send you to the depths of hell. I am Itachi Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan and I will destroy you and stop this war with the south today." Putting more chakra into his legs he kicked the lord in the side sending him tumbling sideways several feet. Noticing another demon approaching that fit the description of the Western Lord, he waited to strike again.

The Eastern Lord began to rise up when a green whip wrapped around his left arm sending him back to the ground with a quick tug. "Sesshoumaru, this will be war if you don't stop!"

Sesshoumaru scoffed, not impressed in the least or feeling threatened. "It can't be war with you dead. You knew that I have claim to that village as well and by your actions towards it and the priestess you had brought your death. Your guards had not been careful when grabbing victims to use against the priestess and the girl they grabbed is my ward. I hereby release you of your title and will watch this shinobi bring an end to your pathetic existence." Two more powerful demons landed behind Sesshoumaru. "As you can see, the other lords are here as well, no matter what you will die today."

With that he let go of him and nodded at Itachi, letting him finish the fool's life. He proceeded to walke to the gap in the wall and found Kagome struggling to push a ball away from her. Narrowing his eyes he picked it up and used the acid in his claws to melt it outside away from her weak form. Walking back to her he looked her over before turning his attention to the fight while she gathered her strength. He noticed the shinobi's eyes had changed and once he made eye contact with the former Eastern Lord the demon was under some kind of spell and within a few minutes his life faded from his eyes. Noticing that his eyes had changed yet again, he watched the man make hand signs before engulfing the former lord in flames and with a slight widening of his eyes black flames came forth and burned the corpse until nothing was left.

The human was more powerful than any other he had ever seen and he wondered where this shinobi had come from. He hadn't been to the village much lately due to problems with the Eastern Lord among other things. Hearing the priestess stir he looked back, seeing her pull the shirt over her head after sitting up. Attempting to stand she wobbled and steadied herself against the wall and slowly walked so she could see what was going on. Itachi made it into the room and pulled her into a hug, letting her drop against him. Picking her up he carried her out of the room and past the other lords, only giving them a nod in acknowledgment before using his chakra to get them back to the village.

"Itachi," he glanced down at her, letting her know she had his full attention. "I would really like to wash off in the hot springs if you wouldn't mind."

"I want your friend Sango to join you then, I will remain like I always do." He looked down at her tired form and then insisted she get some rest. He didn't feel satisfied after killing that Lord, it only proved that others have the means to rend her powerless should others decide they wanted the priestess.

After a long night of the two women bathing in the hot springs and him being tense from the day's events, he finally had her home, eating a good meal and getting more much needed rest. He instead rested in a sitting position up by her head, not willing to let anything come close to harming her. After several moments he drifted off to sleep with the dishes still sitting dirty since he would not leave her side.


	8. Chapter 8

After a few days her energy was replenished and the Western Lord had come by to check up on things and brought some dead game to go towards feeding Rin this winter. Handing her a pouch of money he took her with him to travel a little before it got cold. InuYasha had been in and out of the village a few times and would primarily stick close to his friends. With his strength he had gotten the whole village a stack of wood that should last a while.

With little to do Itachi took up teaching Kagome hand-hand combat since her friend was busy with her kids. Although it tired them both out he was beginning to desire her even more. He was getting distracted by watching the beads of sweat trail down her body and his mind would be even worse when she was bathing. Pretty soon he would have to start bathing in the cold waters of the river if his raging hard-ons didn't go away. Today was one of those days and he wished he could just reach down and take care of it but lately their always seemed to be someone around watching him from the shadows. All she was doing at the moment is sleeping but building passion for her was getting stronger every day. It had only been a couple weeks now since that lord had tried to force himself on her, he was not about to do anything that might harm her.

One other thing was his instincts were still urging him to find a way home. Still feeling eyes watching them had him agitated. Looking into the trees outside the window he felt his erection calm down. Hearing a light moan from the slumbering priestess his cock twitched and then his mind imagined what a few more moans from that pretty little mouth would sound like and he could feel the pre-cum at the tip.

"Itachi," the soft voice called and he struggled to look at her. She was still asleep; she had moaned and then called his name. He was beginning to wonder if she was dreaming of him. He had noticed that she was beginning to blush around him more often. Smirking to himself he began to formulate a plan. His cock now hard as a rock he resisted the urge of stroking it. Instead he began to meditate and after several minutes he was back to normal and finally changed into his day clothes.

In the Hidden Leaf a year earlier, the Fifth Hokage was preparing to address the entire village. Sasuke and Naruto were up there with her and she was ready to unveil the truth about the happenings in the village for the last several years. Sasuke was feeling tense, not sure how the villagers would take to the news but happy the truth would finally come out now that it is known. A few other people that were up there consisted of the Anbu along with the counselors that were given no choice but to admit to the people of the village that they are speaking the truth.

"I have gathered you all here today to bring to light what the truth is behind several of the events that occurred in the past as well as to start righting some wrongs. We will start back to the night of the Nine Tails Attack on the village. Lord Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze was married to Kushina Uzumaki and she was the previous jinchuriki before Naruto. They were expecting a baby boy and named him Naruto after the heroin in one of Jiraiya's books and named him the Godfather of their baby. When Kushina went into labor she was taken to a top-secret location outside the village with Biwako Sarutobi and Taji as her midwives, guarded by Anbu and Minato to keep the seal in place. Unfortunately they were attacked by a masked shinobi who turned out to be Uchiha Obito, a shinobi that had been reported dead in the Third Great Shinobi War. Minato and Kushina died protecting Naruto and the Leaf while sealing half of the Nine Tails in him and the other half in Minato. The Uchiha were prevented from assisting since they suspected to be behind the attack. With that distrust a seed of hate began to form and no one did anything to fix it. The Uchiha were planning a coup d'état and Itachi knew it would start another war."

She took a small break before beginning again, "Though himself and his best friend and brother-figure, Shisui Uchiha tried to prevent any deaths on either side but Shisui's right eye was stolen by Danzō for its powerful Mangekyō ability before being able to perform a mind control jutsu on the clan head, Fugaku Uchiha. He then met with Itachi in secret and revealed what had happened. After entrusting his remaining eye to Itachi he plunged himself into the Naka River, leaving the clan and village's future in his hands. Itachi was unable to persuade his clan into stopping the coup d'état and was instead seen as a traitor. Against Hiruzen's wishes, Danzō Shimura and the Konoha Council ordered Itachi to wipe out the Uchiha clan, Danzō pressuring Itachi by inveigling him into choosing the lives of his clansmen or that of his little brother. After receiving the final order to massacre his clan, Itachi made contact with Tobi, under the guise of Madara Uchiha, who was infiltrating the village and attempting to rekindle the flames of war in Konoha. In return for not attacking the village or harming Sasuke, Itachi offered to help him claim vengeance against the Uchiha for turning their backs on him decades earlier, to which Tobi agreed. Still desiring to protect Konohagakure even after becoming a wanted criminal, Itachi accepted Tobi's offer join Akatsuki, using it as a means to keep a watchful eye on the organization."

Starting again on a sadder note she continued, "At some point, Itachi also contracted an incurable terminal illness. He kept himself alive by taking various medicines, along with sheer "willpower" so that he could live long enough to battle Sasuke and die by his hand as retribution for killing their clansmen. Once Sasuke had done so the truth slowly began to come out. Itachi was never a criminal; he was a loyal shinobi of our village working behind the scenes for years to keep us safe. His name will from now on reflect the truth to his actions and any hate will have to be faced. Itachi is also the one that defeated Kabuto and turned the tide of war to our favor and so starting today his name will be cleared and Naruto will be looked upon as the son of the Fourth Hokage. We cannot move to a better future without righting the wrongs of the past that can be helped. We survived a war that united the five great nations, let's continue to push forwards and create an even better future!"

The crowd roared and Tsunade smiled, it was a bright day and she felt like a true leader. She couldn't be more thankful for having been given the title and taken away from her life of gambling her money away. After a while everyone dispersed slowly and proceeded to celebrate and talk about the news. Naruto and Sasuke remained away from everything and just relaxed as they watched the celebration beneath them.


	9. Chapter 9

Itachi was working up a sweat sparring against Kagome and once again his member began to twitch as he watched the trails of sweat glistening down her chest. She swiped at his front side and he batted her arm away sending her off balance in a spin. Grabbing her right hand he forced her to release the kunai he loaned her and spun her back around letting gravity pull her to the ground. He followed and pinned her beneath him, his eyes still activated until he slowly blinked, releasing his own kunai. He cradled her head on his left hand and pulled her in for a kiss, letting his passion and desire for her be felt as he moved his lips against hers. Feeling her deepening the kiss and wrap her arms around him he pulled back and lazily kissed her making a hot trail down her chin, around her neck and up to her ear lobe, sucking it.

He was rewarded with her hands tightening on his shoulders as a small breathy moan escaped her lips. He desired to make her his wife, he wished he had already done so but at least after today she would not doubt his feelings. Gripping her hips he felt her grip his sides with his legs and he brushed his confined twitching cock against the juncture of her legs. Feeling her jerk a little at the intimate contact he deepened the kiss before rubbing against her once more and getting the same response. He kissed down her neck and left her panting lightly before drawing a moan as he nibbled on the slightly exposed skin of her breasts. He began rubbing his member against her harder feeling her move in response, drawing out louder moans. Once he set a pace he pulled at her shirt and bra until a nipple was exposed and he latched on to it greedily as he let his hands wander to her toned ass as he kneaded it and lifted it in sync with his thrusts.

Feeling her pants begin to get damp with her cum he moaned at the feeling of their wet fabrics creating a juicy friction. He could hear breaths coming out in short pants as she moaned and gripped his hair. He used his teeth to release her other nipple, his teeth scraping over the sensitive skin and then back and forth over the nipple. Her back arched and he licked it before giving it a few sucks and tugs letting the cool air hit it before engulfing it all as he increased the strength in his thrusts and felt her going crazy with need. Bringing his hand around her ass he began massaging her lips as he changed the angle of his thrusts to instead rub against her anus and through her butt cheeks. They both moaned and she called his name, clinging to the skin under his shirt and digging her nails in.

A minute later she soaked her pants and he reached down his pants in hopes to bring his own release but then his hand brushed against he concealed lips and he got a moan from her as her body twitched once more. Looking at the wet attire he licked her down there and felt her hips rise off the ground as she hissed in pleasure. His tongue assaulted her lips down there, licking, sucking and pulling with his teeth. He let his one hand play with her breast while the other entered her vagina with the fabric still in the way of direct contact. He interchanged his hands while he drove her into an inferno of need, bucking against his hand and mouth, winding her tighter and tighter as he shoved two fingers into her dripping core as the other hand gripped her one boob and he sucked on her lips, occasionally biting and licking before pulling them in for another long hard suck. With one more buck she found release and lay there twitching as she came down from her high. Itachi's dick began twitching as he looked her over, being careful to put some distance between his hand and her core he began stroking his cock slowly, hissing as he drew up on it before being able to set a pace, his cock still twitching occasionally in response to her body. Kagome sat up and blushed as she watched him jerk off, forgetting about her exposed breasts. She felt her lower region twitch in excitement and she suddenly had the urge to do something very unlike her.

Itachi was watching her close and noticed she was getting aroused again. She got on her hands and knees her eyes still glued to the movement in his pants, his cock twitched when he noticed the heated look and then her boobs bounced when she moved forward. His breath began to hitch as she slowly crawled towards him on her hands and knees and then her head descended on to his aching head and he hissed as she took a long slow suck. He continued to rub his cock as she sucked and licked it through the material of the pants. He could feel his release finally coming and that wicked tongue of hers was about to do the trick. Giving him another long lick she enclosed her mouth around it and gave another long suck making sure her tongue remained pushing on his dick as she drew up and proceed to nibble on the tip before sucking it one last time. She felt it jerk hard and release his juices, curious she licked and sucked it for the final time, taking in the taste of his juice before she sat back and acknowledged what she had done as she watched him pant and his form relax. Her eyes greedily took in the sight of him and her hand went straight to her lower lips, trying to rub off the need that began building in her once again until his eyes caught the action and he proceeded to kiss her senseless as his fingers plunged into her core as she continued to touch herself down there.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day they both slept in, curled up in the back room for privacy. Itachi slowly woke up while the sun was still young in the sky. His vision was consumed by black silky hair until he finally adjusted his head to see the crown of her head. He let the minutes tick by calmly, happy to have her in his arms snuggled up to him, his longing for her satisfied so he soaked in the knowledge that he knew without a doubt she returned his feelings to some extent.

He reflected on last night in the hot springs, he had just brought their bathing supplies and set them down behind her. Instead of walking over to the tree right away he stepped right into the spring and knelt in front of her, bringing her face up to look at his. Leaning his forehead against hers he stared into her eyes, softly saying, "My feelings will not disappear overnight, nor did they appear overnight. I hope you understand what I am trying to say." Her blushing face had been so cute, he decided though to keep letting her know he is right here and has no plans of leaving her.

The day started slowly, about as slowly as she awoke. He softly kissed her and held her in his warm embrace before finally starting to get up, giving her a parting kiss on the forehead before he went to retrieve their clothing and start on breakfast. He would continue to show her he would make a good husband. Instead of training they spent the day speaking to the others but about how he could go about discovering a way back to where he is from. The only possibility they could think of was the well or maybe InuYasha's sword since the demons they knew of with similar abilities were all dead. He sat in a tree thinking while Kagome played with her friend's kids, he wished he knew why he had that nagging feeling. It had been growing persistent.

In the late afternoon they ate dinner quietly and just as he gathered the dishes to go wash them he heard Kagome quietly address him. "Yes Kagome?"

"I was just wondering, well what is the extent of the relationship you want with me?" She squirmed just a little, uncomfortable with the subject but looked him dead in the eyes wanting an answer.

He set the dishes back down before approaching her and cupping her face with his right hand and looking her straight in the eyes. "I would hope to someday," he placed his left hand flat on her stomach, "have my child in there, a ring on your finger, and change your surname to Uchiha. That is what I wish of us in the future." He kissed her softly on the cheek before kissing the corner of her mouth and then picking up the dishes and heading to the river.

A bad feeling followed him all the way to the river. He could feel eyes on him as soon as he exited the hut but the feeling disappeared once he reached the river and started looking for the source. The feeling that something bad was about to happen intensified and he took off back to the hut, activating the sharingan and bringing out a kunai. He came to a stop right outside the doorway and his stomach dropped. He was supposed to be dead but instead he was holding a kunai to Kagome's throat. Those snake eyes mocking him along with that grin.

This was the missing piece to the puzzle surrounding his resurrection back to the living and his instincts warning him. His mind began to formulate a plan as his face went stoic. He tried to speak with his eyes and tell Kagome that everything was going to be alright. Just as he was going to activate the jutsu he found a snake lunging towards him interrupting his plans.

"Tsk tsk, the great Itachi Uchiha," his yellow eyes narrowed in pleasure as he cut her neck just enough for it to bleed. His long serpent tongue came out and licked away all traces of the blood. "I suppose things are starting to make sense to you now. After all we're both geniuses so I'm sure with my presence here all of your questions are being answered."


	11. Chapter 11

"Kabuto," he knew the supposed 'dragon' should be dead unless he discovered how to get out of his jutsu.

"Yes, Itachi, I brought you back. I did discover a way out of that jutsu of yours and now I want revenge. I also took you to a different dimension on purpose as well. You see, I wanted you to get comfortable here and get attached to someone. I have been watching your movements for a long time and now that I had evidence for my eyes that this woman is that special someone I am going to take her away. We're going to finish that game of cat and mouse now; it ends with one of us dead. I wouldn't take too long, you know I like to experiment and I have never had a priestess's body to study. Copy this jutsu like I know you will Itachi and try to find us quickly, the clock is ticking and who knows when I will decide it's time to split her open." He made the hand signals to get back to the shinobi world and disappeared with Kagome after a poof.

His white knuckled grip around the kunai didn't ease up until he put it away and proceeded to scribble a note for her friends. Grabbing a few more things he formed the hand sign and followed them back to his home world. With a poof he appeared on the outskirts to a forest but didn't find any trace of them being here. They could have been transported anywhere in the world so it didn't shock him. Remembering to keep a low profile he went to the top of a tree and took in his surroundings.

Seeing a village off in the distance he approached the village and after hiding his forehead protector he approached an older man asking which country he was currently in.

"You are near the Village Hidden in the Grass and the border of Fire Country," he kindly replied. Itachi thanked the man and proceeded east, following the road he knew would lead to the Hidden Leaf Village, sticking to the tree tops to avoid being spotted. It took him a couple hours at the speed he was traveling to make it to the outskirts of the village. Itachi used the jutsu code to sneak through the barrier in hopes that it hasn't changed. Skirting around the rebuilt village he tried to figure out where his younger brother might be. He was certain his brother would come back to the leaf and rebuild the clan but he wasn't sure where he would take up residence now that it had been destroyed. Going into one of the taller trees he tried to remain hidden as he searched the area for a clue.

He searched the village, moving between shadows to locate any sign of his residence. Coming to an area near a park and a recreated river he spotted the Uchiha crest on a banner. Quietly entering the residence he listened for any telltale sign of the occupants that might live here. He continued into the home, looking in the different rooms. It appeared his brother was not home. Finding a sitting room he watched out the window, activating his sharingan he could spot several anbu out there. He guessed it was the wrong jutsu code so he sat in the shadows of the room keeping his guard up. Hearing the door open and shut he waited patiently until he knew if it was his brother or someone else.

The steps paused in the hallway; he figured the open doors set off an internal alarm. Seeing the back of his brother he could have sighed in relief, "Sasuke."

His brother turned around with his eyes activated and the slight widening of his eyes showed his surprise. "Itachi, how are you here?"


	12. Chapter 12

He didn't blame his brother for being suspicious. How many times does a dead man return to the living? "I know, I have been alive for a while now, as in a few months. I'm in need of your help. Kabuto is behind this, he brought me back to life in a different dimension in hopes to seek revenge on me. I followed him back to this one, he is holding someone hostage against me. I need your help, if you have any way of locating where he is then please." He hoped his brother had a shred of care in him to help him with this.

"Orochimaru would be my best guess," he turned, heading to leave out the door before he paused and looked back at his brother, curious as to whom this person would be. "Who is this person to you?"

"The woman I plan to spend the rest of this new life with, I plan to marry her," he admitted, hoping the gravity of his feelings would reach him.

Sasuke nodded, "you are now regarded as a hero in our village. I revealed to Tsunade the truth behind the village's past and the clan's downfall. She made a speech almost a year ago about it. We will go see Lady Tsunade and let her see it's just you and then try to contact Orochimaru."

Putting his trust in his brother he followed him out the door and straight to the new Hokage building. Appearing outside of her office Sasuke knocked on the door and heard the gruff 'enter' from the other side. Opening the door all the way up Tsunade did a double take and gasped, recognizing his brother immediately.

"Sasuke, what is going on here? How is he alive again?" Her hands flat on the desk and her face still one of shock but by the lack of her calling any Anbu to take him down he figured things must have changed like his brother said.

"Kabuto brought him back to seek revenge. We need Orochimaru's help in locating him; he has taken my future sister-in-law hostage. I'm sure we will have time later to discuss things in full detail." Watching her nod in agreement she sent Shizune to get a message bird and then opened her window, an Anbu appearing immediately.

"Itachi is the intruder, call off the alert and then bring Shikamaru here." The anbu nodded and left immediately. Sasuke and Itachi both fully entered the room but left the door closed. Shizune came right back in with the bird and Tsunade sent it off with the message she quickly scribbled down. Not long after Shikamaru entered the room and took in the situation. "Itachi, please explain in detail what has occurred. Shikamaru is very sharp; he might be of great use to you in this situation."

"I was brought to life a few months ago in a foreign land that is in a different dimension to the one we are in. After searching for a while I sensed an unusual power that led me to a well that is used as a portal between that era and one 500 years into the future. That is how I met Higurashi Kagome, the user of that well and a priestess. After explaining my situation she took me in and after a while I realized I was falling in love with her but I was uncertain if I wanted to come back here or remain there. Deciding I would rather be with her I finally made my feelings known not long ago. I had often felt eyes watching us and last night when I left the hut for a short while my instincts urged me back to her hut and once I arrived she was being held hostage by Kabuto. He is threatening to experiment on her if I don't find them fast enough; he wanted to take someone precious away from me as revenge." His blood boiled, remembering the sinister promises in his eyes.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, how did Kabuto come back, everyone was certain Itachi killed him. She awaited and watched Shikamaru do his trademark thinking style. Helping Itachi retrieve this woman would help repay the Leaf's gratitude to his selfless sacrifice for all those years. She wondered if he would reconsider settling down in her dimension. She could only assume he thought he would still be regarded as a traitor and missing nin.

Shikamaru opened his eyes and stood up, "I think I have a plan but I don't know if it's any good." He turned toward the older Uchiha to speak to him directly. "Orochimaru has taken up being the leader of the Village Hidden in the Sound and I doubt Kabuto is there since Orochimaru has lost his lust for experimenting with jutsu's on living beings. If he is playing a game of hide and seek I could only assume he would be in one of the places he was last in during the war. It is probably also a trap."

Itachi's hardened gaze went out the window. He swore to himself and he swore to Kagome that he would find her. The sun was setting and he felt every second like days, his mind was conjuring up how he would kill Kabuto when he found him. The deadly look in Itachi's eyes did not escape anyone's notice as they kept their eyes on the shinobi they were not well accustomed too. Only Sasuke knew that he had once been a calm and peaceful person, but right now he was barely keeping a lid on his emotions.

Kagome was dragged into an underground hideout after travelling for hours being nearly strangled by a snake to keep her in check and weakened. When finally released she had already been shackled to a rock column. Kabuto had already walked away as she attempted to gain back her strength and steady her breathing. She focused her power on building a barrier while she had a chance, she was not about to be experimented on or anything else.

The chuckling she could hear from Kabuto as he drew near had sent a shiver crawling up her spine as she regarded the hybrid. Something about her actions had amused him and wasn't sure what was drawing forth the quiet laughter or the mirth in his eyes. He was clearly demented and once he came within fifteen feet of her she slowly felt her barrier slipping and when his hidden hand came out of his robe he held the same glass ball as was used on her before. The growing horror in her eyes as she grew weaker had Kabuto cackling loudly in the cavern, echoing and drawing the terror deeper into her. She screamed 'No' in her mind and she scrambled trying to break free of the chains but she suddenly found the ball sitting next to her as she lay on the ground twitching, her muscles taxed from the struggling.


	13. Chapter 13

She was left lying on the ground, weak and barely conscious for hours and she couldn't recall anyone coming in there but she couldn't be sure she would have even noticed them. The water dripping was her only way of noticing the passage of time though she wouldn't have been able to even count the number of drips if she wanted too. Then suddenly there were sandaled feet in front of her and the ball was removed from her sights. The slight hope that was building up in her was squashed when she caught sight of Kabuto and the look of victory in his eyes as she was dragged away.

It must have been nearing midnight when Itachi was handed a few soldier pills and he noticed the group of ninja that Tsunade insisted go with him. She wanted to help him as much as possible in his quest to retrieve the woman he loves. He recognized all of them; after all it was team 7 that she felt would be best for this. Another poof and Kakashi showed up, he could see the surprise in his one onyx eye when he noticed him.

Tsunade walked around her desk and addressed the newcomers, "Listen up! Sai, Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi, you will be joining Itachi, Sasuke, and Shikamaru to retrieve the priestess Kagome from Kabuto. Naruto, you are able to sense chakra at a much greater distance when you are in Nine-Tails mode, I am hoping you prepared once you were given my orders?"

"Yes granny," he was punched right in the face by Tsunade and in the stomach by Sakura simultaneously. "Oww you guys! Did you have to punch me so hard?" He whined as the two women just glared.

Addressing them once more, "It would be in everyone's best interest to have Kabuto terminated. They can inform you on all of the details on your way to the first possible location, you have your orders now go!" They all poofed out of her office and she sighed, sitting back at her desk. She hoped that everything would be taken care of in one single mission; it was hard to think on what Kabuto might do to her.

Tree after tree, the sound of them traveling through the branches was all that greeted them. Itachi was at the head of the group with Sasuke right behind him since they knew where they battled Kabuto last. Shikamaru had been the one to fill them in on everything even though he found it bothersome. It was better than seeing if Itachi would lose his patience, he could tell the shinobi didn't want to wait for a team to assemble in the first place. It was understandable; Kabuto's threat and lack of time frame would have anyone feeling the pressure.

Far off in the cave Kagome woke to being strapped down to a table. She barely recalled the events that took place prior to her passing out. She blearily tried to see her surroundings and with much trepidation look at what state her body might be in. It was clear to her that Kabuto had prepared ahead of time for what all he wanted to test and do with her. Barely able to lift her neck she could only see that her veins were bulging out and that her heart was beating faster than normal for just coming out of her unconscious state.

Remembering her struggle as they dragged her into the lab and were hauling her onto the metal table she cringed. Her thrashing around did nothing and her movements were sluggish compared to the shinobi that were strapping her down. She could see Kabuto mixing different liquids and filling up a long needle with a clear orange liquid before holding it up and tapping the side to get rid of any air bubbles. Her struggles had increased but it was fruitless as she felt the bindings tightened until her movement was severely restricted. Kabuto's face came directly into her view as he stood at the table and looked down at her, the lights reflected on his glasses and the needle squirting just a little bit before he shoved it straight down into her lower abdomen, the initial sting and burn were nothing compared to the fire that raced through her veins. All she could do was scream.


	14. Chapter 14

Her screaming could not be contained, the liquid fire had spread through her body, she wanted to grip her head so badly, it pounded and all she could feel is fire in her veins, it was like acid. Every beat of her erratically beating heart made it so much more, if she could have been capable of thinking she was certain she was about to have a heart attack. At some point she must have passed out since she was then woken up by someone lightly smacking her cheeks to bring her back to awareness.

They looked at her eyes with a flashlight and were giving her a full physical exam. She could feel the blood pressure monitor on her arm and hear the scribbling on paper but her eyes hadn't adjusted to the light yet. After several minutes she attempted to look around and caught the time before she focused her attention on Kabuto who was once again at some high table preparing a red thick liquid and it made her wonder if it was blood.

She didn't have hardly any strength left in her to even glare at the guy much less put up a fight and she could feel the bindings still holding her down. She noticed her palms were now facing up and felt the binding on her right forearm tighten for a couple minutes as Kabuto poked at her veins there with his fingers. Once the vein was ready he stuck the needle in and slowly pushed out the red liquid. There was no excruciating pain this time and she was thankful for that.

They had continued to monitor her vitals and occasionally took a sample of her blood and looked at it under a microscope. She kept dozing off and coming back to awareness, also keeping her own check on what her blood pressure was. When she had seen it was back to normal the next round of pain came. Kabuto had another needle full of that orange liquid, her eyes widened and her body tensed as she watched him line up the needle with the middle of her abdomen this time. Her screaming could once again be heard echoing through the room and out across the cave.

That was the last she could remember and after noticing her left arm she realized he must have used that vein to inject something, most likely that red liquid that still reminded her of blood. After several minutes her heart had begun to calm down again and she could hear Kabuto telling his help to prepare for the solar plexus injection and mark the sacral as a success. Dread filled her body as she figured out that it was time for more of that orange liquid again. She took note of the time and seen that a couple hours had passed by, it was now 12: 06 but she was unsure if that would mean it is midnight or the middle of the day.

She wished she could get her heart pumping faster again, figuring it had to get to normal before they could inject more of that stuff inside her. Flexing her toes and rapidly opening and clenching her fists she tried to move as much as she could to get her blood pressure to stop from dropping. One of the lab technicians noticed her blood pressure increasing and noticed what she was doing. They alerted Kabuto and knocked her out.

The pain after the needle was then inserted into her upper abdomen was what woke her up. She could feel her chest feeling constricted and it was getting harder to breath. Her screaming was interrupted with her panting and she felt an oxygen mask go over her mouth and nose, forcing her body to accept more air. It wasn't long and she could feel herself slipping back into the black abyss wondering if she would come out of this alive as her body jerked and twitched.

It was around 3 she could barely make out on the clock through all the haze. Her eyes were still heavy and the oxygen mask was gone, she somehow lived through it again. She felt numb right then, her thoughts were slightly jumbled but for now she was in the room alone it looked like. She could feel the sting of where 4 needles had gone into her torso, the last one being her chest although she couldn't remember it at all.

She could do nothing but lay there with her thoughts, trying to sort through the fog. She wondered when help would come. This was the first time in a while she could attempt at thinking about anything other than what was happening in this room. She had no idea if Itachi had a way to find her anytime soon. Kabuto seemed confident that he would find her and he must have wanted him to since he had showed Itachi how to return. If he did find her would it be a trap or was it something else. She had no clue as to what Kabuto was doing to her and what end result he was hoping of this. She did know that she was starting to feel abandoned by her Gods at this point. How could she end up in the clutches of this mad-scientist as a living test subject?

She used to be rescued before anything bad could truly happen to her but then again, maybe this orange liquid was just getting her prepared for the true horror. If that was the case then she hoped she was rescued in time once more. Her eyes clouded with tears and she silently wept. She had no way of saving herself or knowing if she will be saved again and her fear swallowed her whole. She could only hope that if she fell asleep again she would be looking at Itachi's face as he took her to safety and not this hell hole.

Itachi was stopped on a branch as he focused on the area around them knowing Sasuke was doing the same. Naruto entered Nine-Tail Chakra mode and searched for Kabuto's chakra. After several quiet moments his eyes opened again, his success and determination easily read. He then took the lead and forced them to speed up. He could feel several signatures and was unsure if that meant they were all enemies they would have to face but he figured there would be little use sweating over it.

The sky had begun to lighten by the time Naruto started to slow down. Recognizing the area both Itachi and Sasuke nodded, confirming Shikamaru's theory of them being at the last place they battled. They carefully proceeded into the cave when it came in view with the sun rising behind them. Itachi took in every detail as he followed a dirt path with drag marks to a large column and noticing a small hand print, the same size as Kagome's. Following the next set of drag marks for as long as he could, going past several tunnels he finally had to leave it up to Naruto once more.


	15. Chapter 15

This is it for a while, I don't have enough energy to finish typing chapter 16. It would be nice to get a review, the story has already had lots of attention but only one follow. I will possibly finish the story if I decide to end it quickly or I could continue it for a little longer, I guess I will let you guys decide on if you want more than 20 chapters.

They had been trying to make their way through the labyrinth of tunnels for a while now, being forced to keep trying and staying with Naruto due to his ability to sense chakra. He could only guess it had been at least an hour since they had solely rely on him. Itachi was able to keep a seemingly calm demeanor to fool them at times but it began to crack when he heard her screams echoing down one tunnel before bouncing off all of them. Without waiting for the others he took off listening closely to the echoes of screams to judge where to go next. He was getting closer, he knew he was and it was confirmed when Kabuto suddenly showed up in front of him with a couple other shinobi.

Her screams of pain continued and Itachi was in a murderous mood. Kabuto chuckled, the glee in his eyes from seeing the calm demeanor of the famous Itachi Uchiha crack as heard the screaming of his woman. "It's been music to my ears several times while I've had her. Just wait for the best part if you can hear it." There were breaks in her screaming and they were starting to sound muffled. "That means she is having a hard time breathing and now she is being covered by an oxygen mask as they try to stabilize her yet again." He studied Itachi but noticed the murderous looks on all their faces. "I was hoping you would take longer so I could really get started but I guess I will have to take what I can get, after all I knew I wouldn't be able to fulfill all of my plans for one such as her but I must say, this one was a success."

A flock of crows came at Kabuto and the other two shinobi. Kabuto deflected the attack, knowing they were really shuriken in disguise. The other two did not have such knowledge and were sporting several gashes. Shikamaru acted quickly and performed his shadow strangulation jutsu on the other two after Kabuto managed to escape. With those two dead a mist appeared making it hard for some of them to find Kabuto. Naruto created a rasengan and attacked Kabuto sending him flying. Itachi and Sasuke were both on him instantly trying to land a strike on him. The screams from Kagome were becoming hard to hear and Sasuke upped his speed attacking viciously with taijutsu. Itachi noticed the shadow creeping along the floor and heard Shikamaru murmur 'complete.'

Striking Kabuto with deadly force they discovered it was only a substitute and he quickly turned to the real one. Before he could attack Sasuke jumped in front of him squaring off with Kabuto. Looking over his shoulder he urged Itachi, "Focus on Kagome while you can hear her, I will keep Kabuto busy until you return."

Nodding, Itachi left, Sakura and Kakashi following behind him while Sai brought out his scroll and began his own attacks against Kabuto. Kakashi summoned his ninken quickly instructing them to lead them to the source of the muffled screaming. They then took the lead, their smell and hearing guiding them down the right paths. Her screaming came to an end but by then they were almost there and within a few minutes the closed off room was in their sights and with a burst of speed Sakura destroyed the door with one punch.

The gasping breaths from her drew his sight straight to her. He stepped in and the other shinobi in the room all went on the defensive. As soon as he cleared the doorway the others stepped in and began subduing the lab shinobi. Itachi's fist clenched as he looked at Kagome's bloodshot eyes, the pupils small and her veins bulging. He stroked her hair back as her body went through its spasm. He read all of the vitals before studying her body, noticing all of the locations of needle marks. Hearing Kakashi finish securing the shinobi for interrogation he felt Sakura approach and start to use her medical ninjutsu to examine Kagome's body. Her eyes creasing she focused on using her chakra to numb the pain and calm her body down.

Kakashi found a couple of clipboards with several notes on them and after paging through them he approached Kagome's form and studied her as well before breathing a sigh of relief. The odd placement of that sigh had gained an audience and he handed them the clipboards so they could see why he was relieved. After scanning the contents of his own he handed his clipboard back and proceed to cut through all of the bindings since she had finally calmed and went into a forced slumber by Sakura. He removed the needle in her arm, the oxygen mask and the blood pressure cuff. Taking off his shirt he gently clothed her in it being she only had a bra and underwear on. Sakura noticed a closet and opened it to find a couple lab coats and grabbed it out for Itachi to put on her as well. Itachi noticed a glint coming from under the table and pulled out an identical ball to the one that had been used on her before to steal her power away.

They left the lab and Kakashi had his summons lead them back the way they came. Once they reached Kabuto he turned to Sakura, having already decided she would be the one to guard Kagome while he took care of the scum that dared to take her. Sasuke had a partially transformed Susanoo out as he and Naruto attack Kabuto with Shikamaru and Sai at the ready to seal him if given an opening. Without much further progress Itachi stepped forward as Kakashi stepped next to Sakura to help protect the woman.

His sharingan fully activated he set his plan into motion and as he continued forward he gained Kabuto's attention and cast the Tsukuyomi on Kabuto before using Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson and then finally Amaterasu. Making sure he couldn't shed his skin he waited until he was nothing but dust before turning around and retrieving Kagome from Sakura. With that they left, going straight back to the village to see Tsunade.

It was past noon when they arrived and reported to the Hokage tower. Itachi watched and waited as Tsunade went through the clipboards, studying the content very carefully before giving Kagome a thorough exam. Time ticked by but the end result was her shoulders relaxing.

"Kabuto appeared to be trying to make her body start producing chakra for her to use so he could further experiment on her. He only got as far as his final step. Unfortunately her body was put under immense stress and it may be some time until she is well again and we could begin to see if she can use chakra. You had thankfully made it in time before he could do anything else. I recommend you keep her here in this dimension so we can help her through any side effects she might have. We would be honored if you would consider doing so." He had already approached Kagome's side now that the exam was done. He repeatedly stroked her hair as he looked down at her; nodding to Tsunade she had his answer. "I will get her a private room setup in the tower here then."

He was left along with her for several minutes, everyone else back at their homes probably resting. A light knock sounded and he turned to the door, giving the okay to come in, he watched his brother come through the door before shutting it once more. "Itachi, my home is open to you for the duration of your stay," his simple comment was accepted with another nod of his head. Sasuke looked at the woman his brother fell in love with, he was curious about how she managed to gain his attention in such a way. Turning away he left the room quietly and went home to relax before he went to bed early.

Tsunade and Shizune put together a room quick with Sakura's help and quickly had Kagome settled in on a comfy hospital bed. After they left Itachi sat on a couch that was pulled up to her bedside and held her hand for a while, making sure she was comfortable before lying down on the plush couch and letting his body finally succumb to slumber as well.


	16. Chapter 16

I had decided I really liked my idea of continuing the story. I hope you all will love what is coming to you since I'm guessing this story will be going on for several chapters. I am going to take some time to carefully put together the next few chapters, after all I don't want anyone figuring things out yet. Thank you everyone for your feedback, I will be patient.

The next few days went by without a problem. If she didn't wake up today they would put her on a feeding tube among other things. He ate the meals that were brought to him but remained for the most part quiet and deep in thought. He hadn't revealed himself to the citizens of Konoha yet even though they knew of his return. With the day coming to an end he was lead out of the room so they could start getting her taken care of and with his brother's urging he went back to Sasuke's place to shower and have their final meal of the day together.

They didn't talk much at first but after they finished eating he finally opened himself up to Sasuke's questions, no doubt about his newly given life and what attracted him to Kagome so much that he fell in love. He quietly waited for Sasuke to choose what to ask about first and he reflected on their moments during the reanimation jutsu. Sasuke had always been curious even if he didn't acknowledge it himself. They were currently walking through Konoha catching everyone's attention as they strolled by. Itachi was having a hard time controlling the urge to roll his eyes and it resulted in him getting an annoying tick on his forehead.

"I can assure you Sasuke that Kagome is nothing like those women," speaking of the ones who dropped dead in a faint at seeing the Uchiha brothers together. Honestly he felt it was ridiculous for them to act in such a way out in public and he had even spotted rings on a few of them.

Sasuke looked at his brother and noticed how stressed he still was, resulting in his agitation and unusual behavior. "So what is she like then?" He wondered if she was anything like Sakura and Ino now that they have matured in some way, at least more so than those women. He still didn't interact much with the female population so he had few kunoichi's to think upon.

"Well, she really isn't a think like any of the women I have ever met." The kind smiles she would give him and her generosity towards him were things that really stood out to him. "I was physically attracted to her right from the start but it was her smiles and generosity that began to pull me in. It's hard not too with her. She comes from a different ere in that dimension, one 500 years into the future. I had noticed the power of the well and spotted her using it and requested to speak with her about my dilemma. She welcomed me in her home, offered her help, and treated me like a friend from the start. I found myself wanting to do things for her, anything to help her out and after discovering she had been going off and training alone I began helping her with that too. This is actually the second time I have come to her rescue like this. Due to her circumstances she hadn't even been looking for a husband or lover and after a while I began wanting to then show her I would make a good husband. I had just started being blunt about my feelings and desires when Kabuto had taken her from me." Getting a sudden thought he led them to the park by Sasuke's home. "How about I show you a few of my memories instead," he suggested and watched his younger brother nod.

He replayed his first memories of her and a few of her friends before showing the ones from her training and target practice and ending with his memory of the day Kabuto took her starting at her hesitant question. Watching his brother come out of the jutsu he turned his attention to the sky.

"She is like you described and more. You did well in choosing her," the light praise from Sasuke relaxed him a little. "I suppose I will be an uncle soon enough," his comment drew Itachi's eyes back to him and they both smiled at the pleasant thought.

Figuring he had spent enough time away from Kagome he bid his brother goodnight and headed back to the Hokage tower to see how she was faring. Everything had apparently gone well and she was still slumbering peacefully on the bed. Seeing the different machines she was hooked up to he read her vitals before sitting down once more next to the bed. Seeing the notes left behind by one of the women he paged through it to see what they have written. She apparently now had the capability of being a kunoichi but he was not about to let that happen.

He lay down on the couch for a while drifting off to slumber but awoke to the sun's rays in his face. It was hard for him to fall asleep again with the intensity of the sun keeping him from doing so. The Kunoichi and Hokage had all been in the room that morning to check for any progress. From the sounds of it her body has recovered from everything but they could not estimate when she would wake up. He already knew that but at least the physical damage had been fixed and her power recovered. He had handed that glass ball over to Tsunade after expressing that people like the village elders should not know of its existence, his faith and trust in them gone.

Today the Hokage wanted to speak with him in her office; he of course didn't know what was on her mind. She never specified a time so he took his time calmly sitting on the edge of Kagome's bed holding her hand and looking out the window. The village was different with all of the rebuilding and he could see they suffered a lot of losses during the war. It used to be Shikaku that would be seeing the Hokage for the things that his son was doing instead and he wondered if he had died as well. He would have to ask or find some documents that recorded the war since he had no clue how things went after he passed away.

Seeing an Anbu appear giving him Lady Tsunade's request to see her now he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in her office. Taking note that Danzo had not been around either he figured his brother must have avenged the clan. Seeing the council in the room he only acknowledged them with a glance of his eyes. Tsunade had an unreadable expression on her face but so far he has come to feel this woman is a great leader and had a strong sense of justice. He after all he was still loyal to the village but was unsure if he would want to live here again.

Watching her stand up and walk around the desk and with a hard look at the council they stepped forward too and proceeded to bow. "Itachi," she started, "the village is in your debt for your selfless acts and the final mission you had been given as well. I deeply apologize for what has happened in the past and would like to extend to you full citizenship of the Leaf and your choice to become a shinobi should you so choose it. But before you consider that I would like you to consider staying here for a year and then joining the council. I have already given Sasuke the choice of what land in the village he would like to have since he intends to bring back the Uchiha Clan. Should you choose to stay here again we will pay for the cost of the home you would want built. This is little compared to what you have suffered because of the poor decisions of the past. There is no expiration on these offers so take all the time you need to think it over." The council members, Homura and Koharu, straightened back up, their old age clearly showing in their movements. Itachi swept his gaze over them and then along the view of the village before meeting her eyes.

He felt a bit humbled, "I thank you Lady Hokage for your generous offer but for now I would have to think about it since it will not be just my decision to make."

Kagome was still comatose; she figured he would want to wait until she woke up. "Very well, we will respect that. I will be down soon to check on her, let me know if there is anything we can do for you." With that he gave a small bow and used the Body Flicker Technique and went back to her room to resume his spot. He could tell that the whole meeting was the Hokage's idea; he wasn't fool enough to think the council was giving him a warm welcome. The idea though of serving on the council did catch his interest and the offers did speak for themselves, the Fifth Hokage must truly wish to try and repair some of the damage and valued his loyalty. It was definitely something to think about but he would not give an answer for now.

A week passed by and he began to have visitors regularly, those mainly consisting of Naruto, his brother, and Kakashi. Several times now Kagome had stirred in her sleep as if trying to wake up before she was plunged into slumber once more and it had gained everyone's attention. Sakura had already run various tests on her and so far the majority of them were coming out fine but they were having a hard time figuring out what was going on. Itachi and Sasuke had tried to enter her mind several times now with lots of difficulty. Of all the things they would get forced out by another sharingan eye.

Sakura stood silent as test results came back. She had made a special trip to collect samples from the lab that Kagome was being experimented in. The results and several other things were becoming confusing and she was really starting to not like the looks of things. She had made another trip with Sasuke and Hinata to check out the whole hideout and find more on the situation. What they ended up uncovering with Orochimaru's help was years' worth of research and preparing. They had yet to tell Itachi but after all of these results, samples, and notes they knew it was best to finally start bringing their findings to light. After setting up a large table in the room Kagome rested in they divided the work and asked others to help go through it.

Shino, Hinata, Sakura, Sai, Sasuke, Kakashi, Itachi, Shikamaru, and Ino spent the next several days paging through the notes and writing a quick summary, giving a report on their findings every three days for a little over a week before they were able to finally put everything together. Itachi had revealed some startling news about Kagome, something most would look over but his sharp brain caught right away. The problem though was that there was still missing information that would complete the puzzle and show just what Kabuto had been doing.

Tsunade couldn't believe it, the past was still coming for them and she wondered what plot Kabuto put into motion. Even though it might have been coincidence that Itachi fell in love with her it was not coincidence that she had been chosen as the test subject for Kabuto. Itachi had already spent time projecting a memory here and there about his time with Kagome. Kabuto had deceived them, made them think she was from another dimension but as she dove into history much further than Kaguya she had found maps and articles about places and events that happened ages ago. They were in the future, so far into it that the continents had changed to what they are now. The world had changed but there were still similarities so she made up her mind.

"Itachi, I need you to go back to where you met Kagome and go through the well to her original era and bring back as much information including maps as you can. I also want you to take pictures of the clearing the well sat in as well as the shrine. We will take care of Kagome and once you're back I will have a team set to try and break into her mind." Peace might not be in their grasps after all, not just yet.


	17. Chapter 17

"Where the hell is Kagome you asshole!" Itachi just barely avoided the strike from the half demon when he appeared in the clearing of the well.

Itachi jumped into a tree and avoided another strike and took off to a nearby clearing with InuYasha in hot pursuit. Soon they were joined by Sango, Miroku and Shippo. He turned to address them but InuYasha shouted, "Windscar!" His surprise at the attack did not take away from his ability to avoid it.

"InuYasha, please calm down, he had left a note after all. You haven't even given him a chance to speak," Miroku broke in, putting himself in front of his friend.

Pushing Miroku out of the way he prepared to attack once more. Itachi sighed, "He is right InuYasha. I did get Kagome from Kabuto and kill him. It seems she had been his target all along and I've been sent on a mission here to gather as much information about this era and her own, and then take it back to my village. Now isn't the time-,"

"Enough! You bastard! She was fine and safe until you appeared here. I'm going to kill you!" He charged and Itachi kept dodging the blows before he finally got serious.

"Very well then but I will not be held responsible for your injuries. I advise everyone else to step back." He leaped back and performed the hand signals for Fire Release, a great blaze appearing and swallowing InuYasha.

InuYasha jumped out and smirked, the robe of the fire rat having protected him. "Is that all you've got? Cuz if it is then you're in trouble!"

Itachi parried with his Kunai against InuYasha's sword before it turned into a swarm of crows and InuYasha just barely missed the attack on his side. The hand signs done, InuYasha was hit with water coming from his mouth being shot back at a far distance as a sopping wet mess. Gritting his teeth InuYasha growled lightly as he glared at Itachi from the opposite side of the clearing. He barely caught the movement of his hands before a water dragon was suddenly released and headed at him, the damn thing was powerful and he was getting sick of this guy being able to do things with just a few movements of his hands.

After defeating the water dragon he went after him with close combat in mind. Itachi's eyes were closed when he approached but it didn't fool him, once they clashed, his sword again the guy's kunai the guy's eyes opened and they were red once again with three tomoe. Keeping the guys hands preoccupied he thought that he finally had a chance to cut him down but when the guy's left eye widened he found himself sucked into another dimension.

The others gasped at seeing something so similar to the wind tunnel. Itachi turned towards them now since InuYasha was currently taken care of. "Now with him taken care of for the moment I would like to explain things and complete my mission. I will return InuYasha later when he can no longer hinder my mission."

"Return him, you mean you have the ability to bring him back as well?" Miroku asked, astonished that he could do such a thing.

"Yes, he was sucked into another dimension of my own creation. He can keep himself busy there. As for Kagome she had been abducted by a guy named Kabuto, he is known for many things but most of all his willingness to experiment on living beings. He had brought me back from the dead claiming it was just for vengeance but that actually was not his original intention. He was looking for something that my eyes could find quicker and with him following me he found what he needed. It was Kagome and the God Tree, the very same tree that the well is made up of. Kabuto had been injecting different fluids in Kagome's body; he never intended to actually wait since she was the key to whatever goal he had in mind. When she awakens she will be able to use chakra to perform jutsu. The problem is she has been unable to awaken and every time I or my brother tries we are forced out by another Sharingan, which is what my eyes are. I won't be able to disclose everything, it would be too lengthy but once we know what is going on I will let you know or I will show someone the hand signs to come and explain it. I need to go for the time being." With the use of the body flicker technique he was at the God Tree taking a few samples and pictures before doing the same at the well.

After jumping through and finding the portal had accepted him he continued to do the same thing with the well and tree in that time. Seeing a house he guessed it must be Kagome's home. He jumped to the second story and looked in the window, seeing what looked to be a girl's room. He quietly entered the room, hearing other occupants in the house. Seeing the books he sat down at her desk and began looking through them. With her ability to go into the past she had a lot of books about it. Getting up and walking to a small book shelf he skimmed over the titles, pulling out the ones he would need and after going through a few photo albums he grabbed those too. Seeing the stacks of books he searched for a way to carry them. Opening her closet up he found several outfits nicely hung up and figured she would want clothing as well.

Having heard a few noises come from Kagome's room Mrs. Higurashi figured either her or InuYasha was in there. Fixing a plate of snacks she went upstairs and knocked on the door before opening it up. The person she was greeted with was neither. His black hair, onyx eyes and dark blue outfit fit the description of the man she had said was lost in the feudal era. "Oh you must be Itachi, is that correct?"

Kagome must have told her mom about him since there really wasn't any other way she would guess his name right away. With a nod he stood there and gently set down her clothes that he was getting set to take back with him. "Yes, I am Itachi Uchiha. I am guessing you must be Kagome's mother?"

She smiled and nodded, he gave her a respectful bow before turning to her, not sure what he should reveal to the kind looking woman. "Kagome needs a few things while she stays at my village." The simple statement had a knowing looking cross the older woman's face before she set down the tray of snacks.

"How about you enjoy a few snacks while I go get a bag for all of this and finish the packing. You should join me for a cup of tea once we are all done here." He wanted to turn down the suggestion but if he planned on marrying Kagome, this woman would be his mother-in-law. Not wanting to appear disrespectful he sat down at her desk and enjoyed the snack she prepared. His heart squeezed painfully, recalling his mother doing the same for him, especially after a long mission. In this moment of time he really wished he hasn't been given the orders to murder his clan.

Her mother came back in the room and gathered everything he had gotten out. He lifted the bag, giving her a nod of thanks before grabbing the tray and following her down to the kitchen where she took the tray from him and then brought the tea out. They both knelt down at the table and he did his best to read the emotions on her face. "The only time Kagome doesn't come home is when something has happened to her. I know she keeps a lot from me since I already worry about her travels to the past but I ask you Itachi to please have her come home soon. It's already past her birthday and she never misses it."

'A mother's intuition,' he thought. "She is ok right now, just unable to come. I had thought I came from a different world entirely but instead we have found evidence of being in the future well beyond this time. I will keep her safe but at this time she is in my village being protected by fellow shinobi that I trust. I do want to let you know that my intention with your daughter is to ask for her hand in marriage. It will probably take some time for that to happen but I do love your daughter and should she have me for her husband I will let her choose where we stay. Of course we will always be able to travel between the times and visit everyone due to our abilities. I would be honored if you would consider me as a suitor."

She carefully considered the man before her. Her daughter has now seen three time periods and will be able to visit them regardless if the well stops working. This Itachi certainly had good manners and was quite respectful minus entering the house through her daughter's window but she supposed he is from another era. She couldn't help but notice his perfect posture and everything. It's not every day you get to meet someone from the future and have a view on things. "How about this, I will consider you her suitor but you must come back when you can and join me for tea. I'm not sure how things are done in the future but in this era it would be entirely up to Kagome in decisions of marriage. I am honored that you still respected me as her mother to let me know of your intentions. I'm sure you're pressed for time so come visit me another time. Oh and Itachi, if you see InuYasha could you send him here please, I want to send back some warm clothes for the winter they will be facing."

'Oh yeah,' he gave her a brief nod before a slight grin crossed his face. "Mrs. Higurashi I can do something even better. I will bring him to you since I almost forgot about releasing him. Please don't be alarmed by my eyes." He stepped into the hallway and she got up to watch what he was doing. His eyes had changed she noted and then suddenly there were a slight swirling vortex before InuYasha came out of his left eye. Holding a hand to her mouth in shock as the half demon landed face first on the floor.

The half demon growled as he got up and noticed his surroundings. Turning around he faced Itachi who was already holding a bag and was turning away to leave. "Don't InuYasha," he looked back at him from over his shoulder. "Kagome's mother needs your assistance, I will be returning soon. Thank you Mrs. Higurashi for your time and hospitality." Then he formed the hand signs to take him back home.


	18. Chapter 18

After arriving in Kagome's room he set the books out and sent a clone to alert Lady Tsunade of his arrival. Not long after did she appear with Shizune and Shikamaru. Her eyes brightened at seeing the selection he brought with him and noticed he was still unpacking the large bag. Seeing a note fall out she reached down and picked it up before reading the contents.

_Dear Kagome,_

_You haven't been home in a long time and InuYasha has yet to tell me what is going on. Your friend Itachi came by to get you some supplies and books. I have him eating a snack in your room right now and once I am done with this we are going to sit down for tea. Even though I know you hide some of the things that happen to keep me from worrying more, I hope you will still visit soon, after all you did miss your birthday and now your presents are collecting dust. I hope you are all right dear. I will be sending some winter clothing back with InuYasha the next time I see him._

_Love Always,_

_Mom_

Tsunade looked at the note before setting it down, emotions ready to come through her calm façade. The love of a mother from years in the past, written to her comatose daughter, years in the future put a real perspective on things and the fact this girl has a mother back home trying to remain strong. She looked down at the young woman as she stirred once again in her sleep but just couldn't seem to wake up. This girl was a fighter she knew, she doesn't give up and they will find a way to release her from whomever it is that did this. She knew it couldn't be Itachi, Sasuke, or Kakashi but who else could it be?

She turned around and watched the other three. Itachi and Shikamaru were already paging through the books while Shizune put the girls things away that her mother sent. Hearing a knock on the door she gave the command for them to come in and watched Ino walk into the room.

"We are ready when you are Lady Tsunade." Nodding, she began with Shizune's help at taking the IV out and followed up with the feeding tube. In a few minutes they had her set to be carried to the interrogation room. They had no intention on interrogating the girl but they needed the device to help get in her mind so they could help her. By the time they reached the room Sasuke had joined up and both he and his brother had their eyes activated. Kakashi appeared to help guard them in case anything happens. Itachi placed her in the chamber while everyone else took their spots. Ino and three other Shinobi stood at the table on the other side as Ibiki chose to stand next to him.

They began their jutsu and entered her mind, a few seconds later all four of them stumbled backwards holding their heads in pain, the jutsu broken. It wasn't looking good. After a minute they resumed their spots and once their jutsu was complete Itachi nodded at Sasuke and they too entered her mind but once there Itachi activated his Tsukuyomi against the enemy and trapped them in his genjutsu. Once there he got a good look at the enemy minus them being black and white in a primarily red world. His torture started but before he could finish they had broken it, signaling it was an Uchiha that he didn't know existed. Entering her mind he noted they had left, probably still recovering from his genjutsu.

A few minutes later Kagome began to stir but she had been suppressed once more and three of the others were kicked out leaving only Sasuke and Ino in her mind. Ino was finally reaching where she would be able to actually see Kagome's memories and noted the others were not appearing at their spots. She put her hands out and began to scroll through them but instead of finding her moments with Kabuto she came upon what could only be a dream or something happening in her mind while she was in a coma. The man looked just like an Uchiha and kept going on about power, blood, and the God tree. He appeared to be trying to brainwash her and after Kagome started screaming, '_get out of my head'_ did he finally say more.

"Power is the answer to bringing peace. Your blood will be my blood just as my blood became yours. Your body is now power. Power of chakra and power of the holy and that power will be mine." She could see his Sharingan, the blue around his eyes, his long brown hair, and the kimono he wore, closed by a dark sash. The light colored Kimono had tomoe surrounding the collar and he had a serious look to his face. She tried to dive in deeper but she started feeling like she was being pushed out so she stubbornly pushed forward and then he was before her, his sharingan eyes were a swirl pattern. She stood her ground, preparing for what he might do.

"Who are you?" She questioned. Not receiving an answer she instead questioned, "Why are you keeping her trapped within her own mind?" He didn't answer to that either. "You're obviously an Uchiha, where have you been this whole time?"

And then he finally started talking but as he answered her questions his eyes changed and when she looked up again she found herself in a genjutsu she couldn't break. Back in the physical world everyone watched Ino push on. Her face full of determination and then after several moments she broke her jutsu and collapsed. Sasuke's eyes changed as he fought the other sharingan eyes in a battle before he placed him in his own Tsukuyomi and then he came out, feeling taxed and deactivating his eyes before looking at the others.

Sasuke remarked, "I couldn't see him, just his eyes but I forced him out of her head."

"Damn it! Curse them," Tsunade swore before giving out orders. Ino and Kagome were taken to Kagome's room to recover.

Later on as everyone paged through her books and looked at maps and pictures they could hear Kagome stir before she finally opened her eyes. Itachi waited patiently by her side, adjusting her bed to a sitting position and waiting for her eyes to focus but instead they remained a dark grey and then a faded coloring of the swirling sharingan appeared in her eyes. Everyone took a defensive position as they watched her mouth move silently before they could quietly hear, "Power. Blood. God Tree. Power. Blood. God Tree-," her quiet words lacking no emotion or any trace of herself had them all on edge.

"Kagome," Itachi lifted her chin so she could look straight at him. "Kagome snap out of it." He tried deactivating the jutsu but nothing would release it. He shook her lightly, not wanting to cause her harm, he watched as her head came up until she was looking straight ahead. Wondering if she was starting to come out of it he backed off to give her space.

"Power. Blood. God Tree. Power is the answer to bringing peace. Your blood will be my blood just as my blood became yours. Your body is now power. Power of chakra and power of the holy and that power will be mine. Power. Blood. God Tree. Power is the answer to bringing peace. My blood will be your blood just as your blood became my blood. My body is now power. Power of chakra and power of the holy and that power will be yours. Power. Blood. God Tree. Power is the answer to bringing peace. Your blood will be my blood just as my blood became yours. Your body is now power. Power of chakra and power of the holy and that power will be mine. Power. Blood. God Tree. Power is the answer to bringing peace. My blood will be your blood just as your blood became my blood. My body is now power. Power of chakra and power of the holy and that power will be yours."

"We should look inside Ino's mind and see if she got anything, she was in there a long time." Itachi was right, they didn't wish to do this to yet another but they needed answers. "Sasuke, is the shrine still standing?"

"Yes."

"I want to go there immediately. Did anything survive Pain's destruction of the village? Old scrolls like a recording of our clan's heritage?"

Sasuke nodded, "I copied it all twice and placed one in my home and the other at the shrine. We should bring Kakashi; his eyes would be able to read it all as well."

"Agreed, Kakashi?" With a nod from him and the okay from Tsunade they left.

An hour later the others were searching Ino's mind coming across the same scene she found before he took his attention to her. Remembering every word they waited it out until they came across the mind torture and left. "Lady Hokage, we have a clear description and answers to his identity."

Underground, beneath the shrine the three men with the sharingan were using their eyes to read old text, looking for the possibility of an illegitimate child, abduction, or something to give them a clue. The problem they found was there had been several that went missing, abducted most likely by Danzō and Orochimaru so that lead them back to the snake for questions.

Sakura came in with the final test results shortly after everyone had gathered once more. "With Itachi's samples I was able to track the serum to having similar qualities as the Goshinboku on Kagome's shrine plus further in the past. It is not an exact replica but with an old sample I had of Zetsu I did find an even closer match meaning they are all connected. The other injection she had been given was blood. To be precise it is blood of an Uchiha but not anyone in our database. Oh, she is awake. How are you doing Kagome?" Hearing the quiet murmuring she stepped closer hearing the chant. Taking out a flashlight she looked at her eyes, noticing change and proceeding to back away after her faint pupils did not dilate or retract.

"He has brainwashed her and put her under some kind of mind control," Shizune answered, stepping up with Tonton in her arms.

"Who?" Sakura questioned as she began to turn around and face everyone behind her.

Then a movement caught her and using the Kamui technique. She jumped back and everyone was on the defense. He stood at the head of the bed looking at them before replying, "Me." Looking down at Kagome he looped his arms under hers and proceeded to use Kamui and disappear. Itachi, Sasuke, and Kakashi were the first ones on the roof looking for where they reappeared. Kakashi could see them on the Hokage monument, alerting the other two everyone went after him.


	19. Chapter 19

I'm sorry this update took longer. I haven't had much sleep lately and things keep popping up. I been so exhausted I couldn't put forth the effort it takes me to type and think well enough to put together a fantastic chapter. I do have a treat for you though, this chapter is just under 4,500 words so it's more than twice as long as the others. I hope you enjoy! I'm taking a brief break and then I might work on chapter 20. Either way it should be updated once again in several hours.

Once they reached them they could see his kunai coming out of her neck, his mouth descended to suck up her blood but Itachi was already on him, starting a battle of taijutsu and kenjutsu. Then Kabuto appeared with a vile and started gathering the blood being spilled as her body gagged and coughed up blood, staining the ground and hospital gown. Sakura aimed a strike at his head causing his grip to loosen on her enough for Kakashi to appear and grab her. Laying her down on her side Tsunade immediately began healing her while Sakura and Shizune worked to keep her still. Sasuke and Kakashi were keeping guard while Shikamaru watched the fight from behind them.

The other Uchiha formed his Susanoo and Itachi formed his wn, the Yata Mirror and Sword of Totsuka showing with it. The battle began, Itachi's red Susanoo attacking the other Uchiha's blue one. "Indra, this battle will be your loss. I will send you to your grave."

"What is going on?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru stepped up, already catching on to things. Kabuto provoked Sasuke into a fight and Kakashi was busy focusing on both. "Indra is the first son born of the Sage of Six Paths. Like Itachi, he too was brought back to life. The Sage had wanted to know how his sons would lead the world to peace. Asura's answer was love whereas Indra's answer was power. His father chose his youngest son, Asura, as his successor and Indra was filled with hate and jealousy. Asura started the Senju clan; Indra started the Uchiha clan and began the conflict between the two clans which continued on until Lord First found the village with Madara. Now Indra is alive and still holding a grudge and for some reason he needs her blood."

He paused, wetting his mouth, "and that's not all. Kabuto after years of research needed a priestess, one that was already connected with the God Tree and powerful. Kagome's tree on her shrine is the Goshinboku; it is actually a cross between the God Tree and the Sakura Tree. Her power and the tree's blended together in harmony. The well on her shrine, known as The Bone Eater Well was actually made from that tree and its roots also surround it and somehow that created a portal between the Modern Times and the Feudal Era. Kabuto must have been having a hard time locating her and needed someone that could find the power of the well or her power so he brought Itachi back. Without fail Itachi did find the well and in turn found her just like Kabuto hoped but when Itachi stayed by her side and fell in love with her Kabuto realized he would also get revenge on Itachi. He had also manipulated events and tested out this glass ball that can absorb her powers and make her very weak so once he knew everything was successful he waited for his chance to take her. In the lab he must have been giving her body injections of a diluted version of the Shinju fruit that he must have gathered during the last war. It only bears a single fruit once in a millennium but he found a way around that. We also know the other injection was Uchiha blood and my best guess would be that guys which is possibly also why he has been able to stay in her mind unless Sasuke forces him out. Sasuke we also know is this guy's second reincarnation, Madara being the first. I don't know what either of them is trying to accomplish but I at least know all of that. Also, this is the guy that Lord Second said started the Curse of Hatred."

Kabuto stopped fighting, his laughter had their attention. "Our goals are so simple. I will get my revenge on Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha as well as the Hidden Leaf Village. Indra will become more powerful and he can wipe out the village along with the existing Uchiha, then start the clan anew with Kagome by his side."

Itachi narrowed his eyes as he took another strike at Indra with his Susanoo. "Is that your goal then like he says?"

Indra released his Susanoo and dodged the sword. Itachi followed suit and they clashed, kunai to kunai. "This village was founded by an Uchiha and a Senju and has since been run by two Senju along with descendants of the Senju. Now I have the two remaining Uchiha's and they are loyal to their Hokage a descendent, of the Senju, and this village. In my eyes you are nothing but disgusting vermin. I will re-start the Uchiha line and with the help of the God Tree I will live on and so will my will! Once I wipe out your existence I will take that woman to be mine."

"I will not let you have her." They broke apart breathing hard, sizing each other up. "Your archaic eyes are no match for mine or my brother's. We are true inheritors of the Sharingan and Kakashi's gifted eyes could even beat yours."

Indra scowled at the insult. "Boy, you forget who gained the sharingan eyes first."

"I do not forget I just know ours are much more developed than yours and have had time to be trained. We surpassed you in power a long time ago." Kakashi was battling Kabuto and Sasuke was watching his fight. Seeing his brother he called out to him, "Sasuke, show him your power."

Jumping into the fight Sasuke's left sharingan turned into the Rinnegan. With a smirk he held out his left hand and proceeded to pull Indra towards him before calling, "chidori!" Indra was stabbed through the stomach and stumbled backwards, his eyes wide with disbelief. Kabuto didn't know about this tidbit either, grabbing Indra he retreated.

Kagome was stabilized, the wound in her neck healed. After picking her up Itachi noticed her pale pallor and carried her back to Sasuke's place instead. It really could not have been a longer day with the way things had gone. She would have to be watched constantly or she would be gone with no idea as to where she was taken to. The frustration was building and it was hard to rest. Lying in a guest room he couldn't find it in him to let his guard down at all with knowing the enemy could use the Kamui technique and appear with the blink of an eye, take her and be gone. Sasuke was in his room resting, everyone else was wherever, and he couldn't bring himself to care where they would be when all he wanted to do is get somewhere presumably safer. She at least would need to lie down and rest for however long needed. A zillion thoughts ran through his mind, he had no idea what to expect and if by some miracle she would be out of that trance or that brainwashed state she had been in.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Tick. Tick. Tick. Like clockwork she stirred. 5 o'clock A.M. and she opened her eyes. The sky a mixture of day and night outside the bedroom window, gradually getting lighter, the stars disappearing in favor for the biggest of them all, the sun. It was like a painting, a beautiful painting with a story of the love the moon and the sun have. It never made much sense to her since in the story they say the moon and sun could not both shine but she quite often would see them both in the sky. It was certainly possible that in other parts of the world it was not so and instead more like the story. They were both beautiful and both served great purpose but she loved it most when she would see where night meets day and vice versa. She could still hear the clock ticking, signaling the passage of time in tune with what she watched out the window as she remained lying on the bed.

Arms tightened around her torso, she knew who it was but her mind was enraptured by the change in the sky. It made her feel free. She didn't want to focus on anything apart from the peaceful scene. It had been so long and she felt it. Usually you don't really feel the passage of time to such an extent but she truly had. She wasn't sure just how long she had been away from the conscious world but she was glad she made it back. Though she did make it back, she didn't know where she made it back to. That was a good question. Where is she? The room was not hers so she wasn't in her bedroom, nor was she on the shrine grounds. The clock and the room signified she couldn't be in the feudal era either so could she be somewhere else in the modern era, or where Itachi is from?

The arms around her she knows are Itachi's. After spending so long in each other's company she could easily recognize them. They were comforting and it felt like a security net. She could barely feel his soft breath on the back of her head through her hair. Knowing him to be a light sleeper she kept her body relaxed, breathing soft, and thoughts to herself. She wondered how he was doing. Obviously fine physically but by the way he was holding her it made her wonder if he thought she would disappear. Thinking back to that night she assumed yes. A shiver ran down her spine and she fought back the urge to rub her goosebumps as her mind turned to those memories. The arms wrapped around her tighter and his body was pulled flush to hers.

"You don't have to be quiet, I'm awake." His soft mumble drifted over her left ear and she felt her body snuggling deeper into his embrace unconsciously. His came up and gave her arm a gently squeeze before sifting through her locks of hair and give her head a light massage. It was he had developed a habit of doing, his hands so sure of their path. That thought comforted her, to know he had been so near while she was unable to wake up.

"How long has it been?" The answer being important to her. She couldn't find herself being happy not knowing. She felt him shift to lay on her back and pull of his arms rolling her body with him. With her new position laying half on him, her head resting on his chest while his hand resumed its motion in her hair.

"Fourteen days since Kabuto had taken you. Thirteen since you have been rescued from him and only hours since we freed your mind." He felt her try to mold herself closer to him and he tightened his grip further, the statements were not pleasant to think on. He remained quiet after that, letting her sort through her thoughts while she clung to him. He felt reassured by the act, his own concerns falling away. It did concern him still that she might not want to be with him anymore but he didn't speak it out loud. He wanted to prove to her that he would make a good husband, that they would be great together and yet the first trouble they had he had failed to rescue her from it in a timely fashion. His lack in the ability to rescue her immediately put her through torture. That then led to her mind being trapped, her being brainwashed, taken, and then hurt once again. How much she knew of what happened stayed a mystery to him.

They laid there soaking in the other's presence, the clock ticked in the background, for the most part forgotten. After a while they both drifted off into a light slumber, it was 9 o'clock when Kagome finally sat up and stretched while the clock chimed. Itachi slowly sat up, rolling a couple kinks out in his shoulders as he gazed at the woman he would like to call _his_. She was silently taking in her surroundings, there wasn't much there besides a window and bed. The clock was to her left, the window opposite of it, the bed in-between, and the door to the right of clock. The room had white walls and everything else a light grey, comforter being varying shades of the color. It was simple.

For the first time she noticed she was wearing a hospital gown. She could recall only being in a bra and underwear while strapped to the table, not remembering when they cut it off. It must have been after the first injection since she had been clothed while they were putting the bindings on her. She looked at the gown blankly for a while, thoughts filtering through her mind as she tried to decide if she wanted to know what she looked like or what happened before she was rescued. Her hands in her lap fisted the fabric and the sheet, trembling with mounting anxiety.

Beads of sweat gathered at her brow, she was biting her lip as her blood pumped faster with her increasing heart rate. Her hands were twisting the gown and sheet, she didn't even remember she had an audience, her mind too focused on the fear that grew and fed her anxiety away. She was moments away from having a full blown panic attack when she felt one hand on her shoulder and another calming her hands. The arms around her helped bring her breathing back to a calmer rate before she slumped back into the embrace. Her eyes still focused on her covered abdomen until a hand ran through her bangs and sifted through her hair in calm strokes, eyes closing at the sensation. The trembling stopped, muscles unclenched, and the teeth stopped their assault on the tender lips.

She wasn't sleepy but her body felt much more at ease even if some of the thoughts persisted. She could hear his heartbeat as he held her, feel every breath he took, and absorbed the feeling of safety from him. Another hour had ticked by as the clock chimed 10 o'clock. A soft sigh escaped her lips before she mumbled the name of the person that invoked warm and fuzzy feelings inside of her. "Itachi."

His head rested against hers as his upper torso leaned against the wall. "You're safe Kagome. I have you." He pressed a light kiss to her cheek and wrapped his arms around her shoulders while planting a few more kisses along her cheek bone. His tenderness easing some of the fear from her.

It was several minutes until she finally had the guts to ask what was on her mind. "Itachi, is my body… is it… bad? The changes done to it?" Her body trembled lightly and she was back to biting her lips and clenching her fists.

Noticing her change in behavior he freed her lip from her teeth before calming her hands again. "No Kagome, in fact it wasn't bad at all." Wishing he could take back his words knowing she had been screaming in pain he sought to explain what he meant. "I'm sorry Kagome, I shouldn't have been vague." He amended. "Kabuto didn't get far. He forced your body to accept chakra by giving you injections in the main chakra points. He also gave you the blood of an ancestor to me, the shinobi who started the Uchiha clan. That is as far as he got. I'm sorry you suffered."

He rested his forehead on the juncture of her neck on shoulder. He felt content to stay in bed for as long as possible; it felt like everything else washed away, it was only just him and her sharing the bed in an embrace. Her mind was obviously still on several thoughts. The way she kept focusing on her abdomen he guessed she must be having bizarre thoughts to what it looked like. Slowly he pulled the sheets down, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "Shh, calm yourself." Exposing the creamy flesh of her thigh he then grabbed the bottom of the gown and raised it up as he pulled it over to the right side. The needle marks were gone, leaving her toned torso and a scar above her hip, one that had been there a long time. "If not for the memories, the Uchiha blood, and your body now producing chakra, it would be like nothing changed. The rest of you is fine too." Letting her stare a few more moments he then dropped the gown down to preserve her modesty. After all, she was completely bare underneath.

Her thoughts still for a moment before thinking of other things now that that fear ceased. Feeling her tummy rumble she wondered how she was still well nourished and that thought lead her down another path with one thought after another. She felt Itachi slide out from under her, letting her remain seated on her own. She came out of her thoughts and noticed his bare chest before he bent over and grabbed his shirts. He turned around and she could see the muscles in his back as he slipped the shirts on and moved to open the door. On the floor lying in the hallway was a bag stuffed full. After sitting it on the bed he began pulling out clothes until he had a complete outfit for her and then her bathing supplies.

His thoughtfulness really spoke to her, it always had. Her heart was longing for him. Figuring she should get up and try to move around she slowly slid her legs off the bed and got up. She hadn't expected her legs to almost immediately give out but she was glad for the strong arms that circled her. Back to sitting on the bed she waited for Itachi as he prepared her bath. When he came back he held a plain cotton robe for her to slip on. He averted his eyes respectfully as she slipped off the gown and then secured the robe. He carried her to the tub and sat her down on the edge with her feet in the water, her bathing supplies already there and the tub full of silky bubble.

She could tell it was her favorite milk bath. The smell of warm vanilla gave it away. Hearing his footsteps as he retreated from the bathroom she murmured a soft, "thank you," before undoing the belt and draping her robe over the towel rack. Slipping into the water she felt her mind go at ease. A small smile came to her lips as she softly sighed and sank down deeper. It wasn't until she heard a soft knock at the door that she realized she drifted off.

"I have some light broth and tea cooling for you at the table." Giving her 'okay,' she began washing up. Her legs definitely needed to be shaved. Once she got to that part she let the water start draining and turned on the shower head, preparing for the first few seconds of cold water, letting it wake her up until it went back to a comfortable temp. Rinsing her hair out and applying the conditioner she did her best to wash off. Turning over until she was on her hands and knees she felt the fatigue in her muscles already as they trembled under her slight weight. She knelt under the stream of water and massaged the conditioner off before turning the water back off and sitting back down in the tub.

Her breathing slightly labored from the effort. Gathering up her strength she carefully herself up on to the edge of the tub and grabbed a towel to twist her hair into. Feeling a bit lightheaded she blindly grabbed her robe successfully and pulled her arms through the sleeves before securing it in a loose knot. While trying to lift her right leg over the tub she lost her balance and slipped, landing with a thud on the tile. The door immediately opened with Itachi quickly scooping her up off the floor. The 'oww' from lips was mumbled as more of an afterthought than anything. The broth and tea had cooled long before she was finally able to stir the snooze she ended up taking. The protests of her body keeping her from slumbering any longer.

That night she sat on the porch leaning against Itachi as she watched the fireflies glow in the backyard facing the pond and a willow tree. Sasuke was leaning up against the house by the door enjoying the serene scene. She had met him while she sipped on the broth and tea. The resemblance between the two brothers noticeable yet they were easy to tell apart. Both brothers she noted had that mysterious allure to them. Neither was much for words but they noticed everything. It reminded her a bit like Sesshoumaru minus the more comfortable feel to the two brothers. Leaving her other thoughts for the next day she enjoyed the peaceful night and enjoyed the feel of Itachi's embrace even more when they fell into slumber later that night.

In her heart of hearts she secretly enjoyed the attention she was getting from the man but after struggling all morning she was getting tired of being more immobile than mobile. He was with her every step of the way and even though she thought she would be sick of it by now, she wasn't. Not of him, just of feeling so pathetic not being able to walk without support. He said her muscles had a lot of trauma due to Kabuto and now the strain of supporting weight after two weeks would leave them sluggish and weak. Sluggish and weak alright. In a race with her against a toddler and a snail she would most definitely be last.

After a few times where they disagreed on her pushing her body Itachi lost when his brother butted in with his own two cents. "If something were to happen she would be a sitting duck." That had actually been his first two cents. His next two cents had been, "pushing our limits is how we succeeded." Itachi had lost the battle. After being a prodigy all his first life, acknowledging his faults in his false second life, and now being wrong and incompetent in his third life. He could only hope things would change. He helped her exercise and stretch, helping her push forward until she could finally walk ten steps unsupported at the end of the day.

He helped her with her bath before carrying her to bed and helping her comb out her hair. She had of course fallen asleep under his ministrations so he worked on pulling it up into a lose bun due to the humid night and pulled a light nightgown over her head after slipping the robe down her arms. The sun had set yet the sky wasn't dark yet. He slipped into bed next to her letting his thoughts roam until he finally fell asleep as well.

The next morning had him sitting at the low table sipping tea with his brother while Kagome sat against the wall reading a note from her mom. They spent the morning filling her in on what had happened during those fourteen days and then diving into their pasts. She was now tangled up with their mess; it was only right for her to know why. Then again it was actually her mess primarily since she was the main target. The two brothers were actually a bonus in the whole thing. They both knew she wanted to return to her mother but both brothers knew that would be a mistake. They quietly spoke occasionally while she remained against the wall. The determination that shone in her eyes after more time ticked by had them praising her strength. She was going to push forward through it all and make it so she could return home once it was safe again.

That afternoon Lady Tsunade requested to have her for a while. Seeing Shizune and Sakura there as well, Itachi relented from staying in the room. After speaking with Tsunade in private for a moment he strolled around the shops looking for things that caught his eye. Sasuke had joined him as well, noticing the generous sum of money his brother suddenly had with him. Eventually he found a few things that caught his eye for Kagome. A couple outfits. One for training and the other a light kimono for her to enjoy.

He still had another mission to accomplish today and with both him and his brother's eyes, he knew if he found that one particular item, it would be a true gem. Find a few accessories and remembering to find more shuriken and kunai, he had managed to wander right to the shop he needed. After exiting he parted ways with Sasuke and went to the hospital where Kagome was at while his brother went to get a table reserved for them. They were definitely done with shopping for the day, and they about had it with being in town period. The varying looks and sounds made towards them had the two tense but neither knew what more to make for Kagome to eat. Their culinary skills were not much past the basics.

They instead enjoyed a booth at one of the most popular places in town. Kagome sat taking small bites of the meat on a stick. They were having a fondue style supper, letting her pick what she likes. She remained oblivious to her surroundings as she focused on the flavors of the different sauces with the different meats. Itachi and Sasuke were beginning to gain ticks on their brows as their patience sizzled away. A bunch of flirty waitresses were gathered around the booth with varying dishes and drinks for them to try. Primarily Kagome. Though they didn't know why it was important to the two shinobi if the woman was happy with the meal, they did understand that she was their ticket to them being closer to the heartthrobs. Every single one of them noticed the woman's beauty and wished her existence away but that wish would not come true.

Hearing the clearing of a throat the ladies twittered and gasped as Kakashi made himself known to them all. Scratching his head as they fawned over him and a couple of them fainted, the presence of all three males making them weak, he politely asked them for his order before joining the table. The girls all tried to run and place his request but instead they crashed into one another with the samples and drinks clashing with them. Three occupants of the table had sweat drops forming while Kagome merrily bit into another piece of meat. Oblivious as usual.


	20. Chapter 20

Here is that chapter I promised you guys. It's just under 4k characters. This chapter and last were totally unplanned but they fit well with the story and serve their purpose so I'm glad they happened. Hope you enjoy!

"Hello Kagome," Kakashi greeted, seeing her awake for the first time and noting that she has grey eyes. She was sitting next to the wall while he was across the table next to the aisle, ignoring the waitresses still twittering around.

"Hmm," her gaze shifted from the window to him, she glanced at the mess being cleaned up before addressing the new company they had. "Hello." She thought a few seconds, recalling he knew her name. "I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

**_CRASH_**

"The service here is very clumsy." She commented as they looked at the spectacle the waitresses made. Looking expectantly at the new male at the table she waited for a reply.

"Forgive me, I am Kakashi Hatake," he nodded at her with what she perceived was a smile since a mask covered half his face. Just then they felt a few noticeable **_thumps_** and they looked up to see a large man scolding the waitresses. Ignoring the commotion he asked her, "How do you like the food here?"

"Oh, the food is delicious; it's been so long since I have had such a great meal!" Her enthusiasm showed brightly on her face. "Thank you Itachi and Sasuke for bringing me here." They both nodded as a silent 'you're welcome' as she went back to eating and the other three began to join in seeing as how they had way more food than they needed.

"Delicious, did I hear this charming young lady compliment my food so generously?" The large man turned towards them. His eyes zeroed in on Kagome as she sat there about to eat another chunk, her eyes looking at him when she noticed she was being addressed. "Young lady, I must simply know your name and are you single?" His fingers crossed in front of him, not paying an ounce of attention to the three males. Kakashi and Sasuke instantly noticed Itachi's spine go straight.

"Huh," the sudden onslaught had her eyes wide. "Well, my name is Kagome Higurashi." She gave him a small wave and he instantly grabbed hold of her right hand, engulfing it with his large hands in a pleading gesture.

"Miss Kagome, would you please kindly wait here?" A bit confused she nodded as she watched the large man.

He stood straight and noticed the three males, more like he noticed that two of them were Uchiha and the other being Kakashi. 'Well they can't be all bad if they have such charming company with the young woman and someone as loyal as Kakashi.' Giving a nod of his head he disappeared around a corner. Racket was heard in the kitchen before the man came pushing out what appeared to be the chef. He eagerly guided him to their table. "This young lady had given the cooking such a gracious compliment, she is so charming and my boy she is single. Having a beautiful young lady like her In the family would be perfect! I would have grandbabies to spoil in no time!"

"Actually, she is not single," Itachi commented, keeping calm. He was thoroughly ignored.

The new man came out and three waitresses behind him were love-struck, standing there with weak knees. Brown hair, brain eyes, a tanned complexion, tall, and very built, his white shirt fit him to a T. The sparkle in his eyes as he somehow grabbed ahold of her left hand should have been enough to show what was coming. "My dear lady, would you do me the honor voicing the compliment once more?"

"Oh, well umm," she racked her brain for whatever she had said. "I believe all I had said was the food is delicious and it has been a long time since I'd had such a great meal."

"She is one of my most favorite customers, isn't she lovely?" Little cupids flew around his head.

A certain customer overheard as he just sat down at a nearby booth, his eyes went wide and a moment later he was holding his hands together as he plead to the man, "please, please say you didn't just say that! I'm your most loyal of customers!"

"Not now Choji, I have such a charming woman eating at my restaurant." Suddenly think of something, "Miss is there anything I could get you?" Then an afterthought, "free of charge of course."

"Umm, well I'm getting kind of full sir..." she started.

"Oh, yes! Dessert, now why didn't I think of that? Now my boy, I want you to pour your heart out and make her something so delectable that she will hear wedding bells in the future. This will be one of our shining moments!"

"Yes Papa sir!" He then disappeared into the kitchen while Choji remained crying with snot coming out of his nose until he would suck it back up.

"Itachi, it was my understanding that you two were an item." Neither male, nor the females minus Kagome missed his level of interest in receiving an answer.

Feeling an ominous aura Kagome turned her head and noticed the deadly glares aimed her way by the majority of the female population. "Why do they look like they want to kill me?"

"You are not only sitting with myself and Itachi but Kakashi is here and now the chef is smitten with you, I read an article in a magazine the other day that we are all in the top 10 most eligible bachelors. If their looks could kill you would be dead so I guess you can be glad the only three can do that are at this table."

Kakashi gave Sasuke a peculiar look. "I didn't know you were into those gossip magazines."

Sasuke glared at him from the corner of his eye before replying, "I'm not, Kakashi-_sensei_, our names were on the front cover so I wanted know what was being written about us. I noticed earlier that the current _Icha Icha _book has a woman that looks remarkably like Kagome here."

Kakashi attempted to glare at Sasuke while Itachi was looking at him murderously and the other women were looking at Kagome like they wanted to torture her. Her face was a mixture of embarrassment and fright. That is when a loud commotion erupted and everyone's attention was directed back to the owner, who was still trying to get a crying Choji off him, who was now looking at Kagome in confusion and the Chef who rolled out a cart with a silver platter and cover containing the dessert.

He gave her an elaborate bow, "my name young maiden is Kuji, I am the Head Chef of this restaurant and son of the owner, Mister Kishimoto." Serving the dish he took off the cover to reveal several strawberries in hear shapes decorated in a heart shape around the chocolate fondue fountain and a chocolate mousse dessert surrounding them with whip cream, chocolate sprinkles, and topped with cherries. "I am certain the red string of destiny will appear after you try this dear."

Itachi noticed he began doing many uncharacteristic things since he came back home. His more peaceful demeanor was quickly fading away as he clenched his teeth and fingered a kunai in his pouch. He wasn't sure how much more of this he was going to be able to handle. It occurred to him that even though he made his intentions know he had never officially asked her to be with him. The quiet life with budding passion from the feudal era was non-existent with the constant distractions and interruptions. If he didn't get her out of here soon she will have just as many admirers as he does.

Kagome's eyes lit up after she took a bit of the mousse. With a happy smile she ate a few more bites before trying the strawberries and chocolate fondue. "Mmm, this delicious. I love chocolate mousse," she commented happily. Suddenly they heard church bells going off as she took another bite.

"I knew it; I knew it was meant to be. The bells are going off in favor of our love for one another! Papa, I did it!" His father rejoiced with him, they made quite the scene.

Sasuke sighed, annoyed by all this hassle. "Actually the church bells are going off because someone just got married. See, there goes the bride and groom right now. It was only just a coincidence." He leveled them with a look, "Kagome is seeing my brother Itachi so she is not available and she has been unconscious for over two weeks and this is the first meal besides tea and broth that she has had since waking up. We would like the bill," he watched the two deflate and noticed Choji's angry expression at him.

"You didn't have to be so mean Sasuke." Choji clenched his fist as he spared another look at the owner and Chef.

Kagome was looking at the two men worriedly; she didn't want them to be upset. "The food really is great even though Sasuke is right. It nearly rivals my mother's cooking when she makes Oden for me."

The two perked up immediately and she gained Choji's attention. "Such an angel. So rare to find such a precious gem among shinobi. Son, it will be your mission in life to make this woman your wife! Now head back to the kitchen we must start preparing!"

"Yes papa!" The man's deep voice answered and they both headed off.

Choji remained looking at her and was soon joined by Ino and Shikamaru. "So you're up finally." Shikamaru commented as he watched her blush fade. She looked at him confused, another man that seemed to know her.

She tilted her head and the innocent action had their attention. "I'm sorry but do I know you?"

The female population looked at her in disbelief. Kakashi finally chimed in. "No, we're sorry Kagome for all of our lack in manners. See a lot had occurred while you were unconscious so many of the fellow shinobi already met you sort of. I would think Itachi and Sasuke would have introduced you to the ones who helped watch over you and help out. This is Choji, Shikamaru, and Ino, they are known as Team 10. Sasuke was part of the team I led, Team 7. Itachi had also been on a team I was captain of before he became a captain as well and then left the village for several years. I know you met Lady Tsunade, our leader, the Hokage of this village, her apprentice Shizune, and her other apprentice Sakura, who also helped make up Team 7. There will be others as well. I hope you will see that you are in good hands with us."

"Thank you Kakashi, I appreciate it and thank you everyone for your generosity towards me, I hope we can all be friends." Ino took one look at that smile and just knew she would be great friends with her, and if they both take on the Uchiha name then they will be sister-in-laws.

"I really hope so too Kagome. Maybe you can join me and girls at the beach or hot springs some time." Her eyes lit up at the sound of that.

"I would love to! Thank you Ino!" Itachi was a bit torn. He didn't want her to be out of his site but her making female companions would make her more comfortable here. She would be with several Kunoichi if she went and he knew he could go to the beach or be at the hot spring on the other side of the wall.

"Just let me know when Ino, I will make sure she is able to go." He could tell Kagome was a bit surprised. Looking at he spoke, "I would like you to be comfortable and have female companions to spend time with. It would be good for you to enjoy your stay."

When the bill didn't show up for several more minutes, Itachi figured it must be on the house and left a generous tip but only because of Kagome's appreciation for the meal. They walked out and soon after her legs began getting tired so with bags in hand he carried her bridal style back to Sasuke's. By the time she finished freshening up her stomach was protesting at all of the solid food so she laid down on the porch, resting her head on his lap as Itachi and Sasuke told her stories of their pasts, the better ones.

Bright and early the next day she was up and on the front porch doing some exercises. She was determined to get her strength up so she could be prepared but also at the prospect of going to a beach or hot spring with Ino and her friends. She didn't want to be carried around forever; she could feel her muscles getting stronger every day. Today she decided she would do a lap around the pond. Itachi was sipping on tea thinking as he let her exercise to her hearts content. His thoughts mostly turned to her needing a swimsuit for the beach if they went and he could tell she was thinking about swimming in the pond. He didn't quite enjoy that thought but decided he would not stand in her way.

A few hours later and Sasuke found himself answering the door and greeting Ino and Sakura who were for once so focused on something else that they didn't even bicker amongst themselves or flirt with him. They wanted to take her shopping and go to the movies with a few other girls. "Come on in, she was out back exercising when I last checked."

They followed him through the house to an open door the lead to the backyard. They noticed Itachi sitting there watching Kagome who insisted on making it around the pond on her own without him hovering or doing any ninja tricks. She was struggling to get up and finish the last turn around the pond. She was clearly exhausted, her shirt drenched in sweat and her body trembling with fatigue. It was actually her fourth lap.

"How long has she been out there?" Sakura asked, her green eyes narrowed as she studied the woman.

"Since shortly after sunrise. Ino's invitation sparked a fire in her; I guess she is really looking forward to making friends and doing something fun." Ino gave a little smile, happy that her invite meant so much to this woman. Sakura had filled her in on what she knew of her after she mentioned meeting her last night. They both had a plan too since they noticed Sasuke seemed happier having his brother around. "Are you here to visit her?"

"Yup, we would like to take her shopping, maybe get some ice cream and go see a movie. Since she isn't from here we figured she wouldn't have our currency for money and not a whole lot of girl things so we want to help her get a suit for swimming. A little girl time should make her feel more at home here." Ino's smile was genuine. Sakura and Ino began walking over to Kagome as she finally finished and slumped down in the grass. The two girls healed any scuffs she managed to get while they let her know the reason for their visit. Not long after they had her up and taking a shower.

Itachi sat in their room waiting for her to finish in the shower and come in. He still didn't like the idea of her being out of site but she would be around several kunoichi while he went and took care of other things. Sasuke left to go get lunch; he wanted to make sure she ate since she skimmed over breakfast. It irked him that his brother called him a 'mother hen' but he would ignore it for the time being. She is defenseless and the primary target, he couldn't afford to let his brother's words get to him. The shower turned off and a few minutes later she emerged from the bathroom and entered the bedroom, making sure to shut the door. Seeing Itachi in the room she blushed and made sure to keep her towel secured.

He really is handsome, she could never say otherwise. His onyx eyes looked at her and the smirk on his face was sinful. She could feel her body respond as she watched him looking her over before he got off the bed and approached. Wrapping his hand around her neck he pulled her towards before claiming her mouth. His other hand rested on her bare shoulder. If it wasn't for the company he would have steered her towards the bed. He pulled back and gave her final soft kiss before he teased her and tugged on the towel lightly.

"You should get dressed. I thought you might enjoy wearing a summer dress with sandals." Seeing the creamy flesh of her neck he couldn't resist and pressed light kisses along it before sucking on it, being careful to not leave a noticeable mark. Running his hands up and down her back he pulled away and guided her to her outfit and turned around so she could dress. He held a comb in his hand to help do her hair once she was set. "I want to talk with you before you head out."

"Something on your mind then? I still find it hard to believe your letting me go somewhere without you." She slipped her sandals on and began pulling at the zipper of the dress. "Itachi, can you help me with the zipper?"

He turned around and closed the distance, smoothly guiding the zipper up. He sat down on the bed, pulling her with him and began working on her hair. "I have a few things to do and those women are all strong in their own right. I will be checking on you even if you don't see me. My main thought is reminding you of something. Remember when we first met and you wanted to see a demonstration of what I can do. You had seen me suck a clone of myself into a different dimension. That technique is Kamui, the second man; the one you had seen in your head at used that to abduct you right in a room full of high level shinobi. He wants you for keeps due to your blood, even more so now that you have traces of Uchiha blood in your veins. It's hard to track someone that uses that technique so I'm stressing to you the importance of not going anywhere without the group or even being at the back of the group. I want you to have fun but be safe."

She nodded her head in silent understanding. "There is one more thing. I know those two girls had mentioned buying you a suit for swimming but I was already planning to do the same. I have more than enough money here for you to have extra left over for another outing so I hope you find something you like."

"Where did you get this much money?" She questioned.

"I tend to be frugal in my spending habits and I never collected on the last missions I had for the village. This isn't even near the amount of what I actually have. It will be monthly payments so the actual amount is such a high payout. Anything I don't use will go to Sasuke should I not stay here." Finishing her hair he pulled out a hair pin and got in front of her to place it in her hair before pulling out matching earrings and putting them in as well. "Don't worry about money; I am from the once strongest clan of the village. I hope you enjoy your day and come back safely."

Holding out his hand he helped her up and let her finish up in the bathroom while he went out by their guests. He had already pressed with them to not let her overdo it and informed them that her purchases would be covered. Sasuke arrived shortly after and set out the food he bought for their midday meal. Kagome came out shortly after looking beautiful as ever, the two girls didn't know until later that Itachi had bought her the accessories and combed her hair out. They were a bit envious that she found such a great guy in the elder Uchiha but still had their sights set on Sasuke. Well for Ino it was Sai and Sasuke, Sakura had begun to become torn by her two teammates Naruto and Sasuke.

Walking down the street the girls chatted as they went from one store to the next. TenTen and Hinata had joined them as well. They enjoyed spending time with Kagome and showing her different places. TenTen had learned about her priestess powers and her new ability to produce chakra so she dragged her into a building that stored weapons and insisted on her trying out a curved hand blade. It reminded her of brass knuckles, these ones smaller for her petite hands, with a blade extending outwards in a curve. She channeled her power into it and 'awed' at how easy it was to infuse it. They checked with the shinobi at the station and she paid for them, hoping Itachi would approve of the weapons. After wrapping them up she put them in a bag with her other purchases and they left to get ice cream before continuing on.

Her day was great; she managed to keep up with the others, taking note of the many breaks they took. Though no one said anything she assumed it was due to the state her body had been in. They made it feel natural and she was grateful. She watched different ones on the street and noticed looks they would receive from different ones, none of them being bad in the least. Hinata was more quiet but very pleasant to be with. She learned a bit about her clan and their eyes. She also learned her part in things when she was abducted and thanked the kind woman. She hoped maybe someday she could repay the village for its kindness.

Walking into the theatre they got ready to watch a chick flick. As the movie progressed she could tell the others were really into it. She found her mind going back to Itachi and some of their special moments. She had not ever planned on pursuing a relationship of the sort but she couldn't help but think about how he ended up being exactly what she dreamed of in a man. He may be more of the silent type but he made up for it in thoughtfulness and he spoke to her often enough. Touching the earrings and hairpiece she smiled, he really was thoughtful.

After the movie finished the girls walked to another store to look at swimsuits. Each of them picked one out for her to try on and then shoved her into a changing room to start trying them on. Stepping back out Kagome sported a two piece yellow one before being shoved back in with another four swimsuits. Somehow, by the end of the day she managed to make it out of that changing room alive and even purchase a swimsuit. Feeling a bit haggard at this point the girls began walking her back to the house, Itachi greeted them at the door and took her bags, noticing the weight of the one. He let them say their goodbyes before shutting the door and guiding her to rest in bed. He set her items down over by the wall and turned around finding her already in a light slumber. Sliding in behind her he wrapped an arm around her before letting his own eyes rest.


End file.
